The use of telemedicine is becoming more common than ever. A quick browse through a general care physicians online portal shows options to text medical questions to a nurse, schedule a video appointment with a doctor and request a virtual exam.
Nationally, the use of telemedicine increased with an average annual compound growth rate of 261 percent between 2015 and 2017, according to the Washington Post.
While telemedicine is becoming increasingly common, workers compensation programs have been slower to adopt these new technologies.
Overall, workers compensation is seeing an increase in the area of telemedicine. In 2015, 56% of Kaiser Permenentes interactions between physicians and members were virtual, according to NCCI data. A lack of guidance and differences in state regulations, however, can make telemedicine programs difficult to implement in workers compensation.
“I think telemedicine is a game changer,” Ann Schnure, vice president at Concentra Telemedicine, told Risk & Insurance®. “But you cant [instantly] turn the switch on. You have to really think through what you are doing and what state you are in.”