Delivering Personalized Care at a Distance: How Telemedicine Can Foster Getting to Know the Patient as a Person.

Janet Record,Cynthia Rand,Roy Ziegelstein,Laura Hanyok,Colleen Christmas

doi:10.3390/jpm11020137

Janet Record, Cynthia Rand + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11020137

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Abstract

The promise of precision medicine is based on the use of new technologies to better characterize patients by defining individuals in the areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and other aspects of biologic variability. Wise application of modern technology can similarly transform health visits with patients, allowing for better characterization of the patient’s individual life circumstances than possible in a traditional office visit. The use of, and experience with, telemedicine have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and clinicians report high satisfaction with telemedicine, and the quality of communication and patient-centeredness experienced in this setting are both rated highly. In this article, we explore the benefits offered by telemedicine in facilitating personalized care with particular focus on telemedicine delivered by video platforms. We propose strategies and skills specific to the effective implementation of personalized telemedicine, drawing on literature in patient-centered communication and home visits. While traditional in-person office visits continue to offer important opportunities such as thorough physical examination and the potential for enhanced non-verbal communication, telemedicine offers many important advantages that can facilitate the process of getting to know the patient as a person.

Highlights

Med. 2021, 11, 137. https://doi.org/The promise of precision medicine is based on the use of new technologies to better characterize patients by defining individuals in the areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other aspects of biologic variability
Our objectives are to explore benefits offered by telemedicine in facilitating personalized care with particular focus on telemedicine delivered by video platforms; to propose strategies and skills specific to the effective implementation of personalized telemedicine, drawing on literature in patient-centered communication and home visits; and to advocate for an ongoing role for telemedicine beyond the pandemic that could provide an ideal patient-centered approach for outpatient medicine
The demand and constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic have created the unique circumstance where many physicians have had to become familiar with telemedicine for routine patient care visits

Summary

Introduction

The promise of precision medicine is based on the use of new technologies to better characterize patients by defining individuals in the areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other aspects of biologic variability. Its use expanded dramatically in 2020 as clinicians and payors responded to the COVID-19 pandemic [2] While this rapid adoption was necessitated by constraints imposed by the pandemic, many clinicians had limited time to learn best practices for providing patient-centered care via telemedicine. In this commentary, our objectives are to explore benefits offered by telemedicine in facilitating personalized care with particular focus on telemedicine delivered by video platforms; to propose strategies and skills specific to the effective implementation of personalized telemedicine, drawing on literature in patient-centered communication and home visits; and to advocate for an ongoing role for telemedicine beyond the pandemic that could provide an ideal patient-centered approach for outpatient medicine.

Personalized Medicine

Patient-Centered Communication Skills and Telemedicine

Getting to Know the Patient at Home

Limitations of Telemedicine to Provide Personalized Care

Findings

Conclusions