Physicians prescribing certain controlled substances will likely continue to use office space, once the public health emergency expires and face-to-face visits resume. “In such cases, they can rent office space part-time,” Dr. Chan added.
Dr. Vasan, also of the department of psychiatry at Stanford and chief medical officer of Real, hopes that such a model prevails. “I do miss seeing patients in person and think a hybrid will be a good balance.”
Most patients want it, as do the influx of Generation Z physicians coming into the profession, Dr. Yellowlees noted. These are young, technologically savvy doctors who grew up in the age of the Internet. “I think the silver lining of COVID is it led telemedicine past the tipping point, where both patients and providers are learning that it’s an appropriate way to get care, as long as you’re careful, use professional guidelines – and don’t drop your standards of care.”
Dr. Yellowlees and Dr. Shore are coauthors of Telepsychiatry and Health Technologies: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals (Washington: American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2018), and receive royalties from the book. Dr. Shore also reported working with AccessCare and receiving royalties from Springer Press. Dr. Chan reported consulting for Orbit Health. Dr. Vasan reported no conflicts of interest. Dr. Mehrotra has received research funding from several U.S. agencies, including the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.