Report From a Virtual Care Task Force

Abstract

While telehealth has been available for decades, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented demand arose for the remote delivery of safe and reliable assessments and treatment recommendations via computers, smart phones, and tablets. Institutions and individual providers needed to accelerate their adoption of virtual care. This ability to provide remote evaluations has helped to protect patients and providers at this time when physical distancing is a priority. This rapid shift to telemedicine has also meant that many providers, with limited experience or training in the virtual delivery of care, were required to adapt to new and unfamiliar technologies as part of their daily practice of medicine. Institutions and individuals have recognized that this sudden and unexpected expansion of virtual care had the potential to increase patient safety risks. Given that telemedicine will remain a mainstay after the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be important to focus on quality and safety issues that are likely to arise but as yet remain to be appreciated. This chapter explores patient safety guidance.