LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The COVID-19 pandemic may have permanently changed the way some people prefer to see a doctor; at least, that’s what the trends tell doctors and nurses at Norton Healthcare in Louisville. 

What You Need To Know

  • Nurses at Norton say March and April of last year saw a surge in eCare visits of about three to four times the usual demand

  • Staff report the amount of virtual visits has slightly fallen off since, but is still much greater than usual

  • The demand has caused Norton to assign more staff to telehealth visits

  • The company is also working on other ways to meet with patients, aside from the traditional in-person appointment

 

The surge in virtual visits continues, more than a year since the pandemic began.

Rachel Alexander, APRN, can do a lot through technology like a webcam. It's her primary way of seeing patients, as she manages Norton eCare's telemedicine system. It's almost like a virtual urgent care program, she explains. 

The activity through her computer screen has increased tremendously.

"We saw a very significant increase in our patient volume through eCare beginning March and April last year" Alexander says. "We probably saw a three- to four-time increase in volume."

That continues, currently, she adds: "we've seen that volume continue not quite as high, but definitely that volume has stayed higher than it was before COVID-19."

The eCare program, which is solely virtual visits, isn't the only area of telemedicine at Norton. Other doctors have opened to virtual visits as well; many plan to keep allowing their patients to visit through a computer or phone screen.

At first, Norton patients like Betty Nunn saw a doctor virtually, to be safe from exposure to the coronavirus.

"I did it out of safety and convenience, too, at the same time," Nunn confirms. 

However, Nunn tells Spectrum News 1 she's grown to love the convenience of it. She hopes the method for checkup is here to stay. 

"Leaving it an option, yes, I think would be very beneficial and helpful," she remarks. 

Recently, Kentucky ranked low on a CareerCloud.com study of access to telecommuting; one of the reasons for that is, internet connectivity issues in rural parts of the Bluegrass.

There's current focus on expanding broadband internet connectivity, as House Bill 320 would provide funding to expand access. That could further increase demand for telehealth. 

Meanwhile, Alexander emphasizes the ability for patients to use cellphone to connect for visits, rather than a computer or laptop with webcam. 

"We are going to our patients. It’s not always our patients having to come to us, we’re meeting them where they are. And I think that’s the most important part of telehealth," she says.

As far as insurance coverage goes, Norton says most insurers cover telemedicine as they do in-person visits. But they recommend patients check with their provider to be sure.

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