The Convenience of Virtual Care
By Cristina Naso
Director of Virtual Care
The pandemic didn’t just change the way we live and work. It also changed the way we receive health care. At Moffitt, providers across all specialties quickly adopted telemedicine in April 2020. Learning new technology can be a little uncomfortable for everyone, but patients and providers worked together to connect in new ways.
Fast forward to today. Moffitt providers continue to offer virtual care when suitable. Providers determine clinical appropriateness before scheduling a visit. This helps ensure the quality of care for patients won’t be compromised. If the visit would include a physical exam, labs or imaging a patient may be required to come on site.
Moffitt recognizes that sometimes we all need a little help. A dedicated virtual care team is available to help you get started at Moffitt, set up care visits and even connect patients with interpreters. Patients have shared that they find telemedicine visits efficient and convenient. The service has helped to reduce barriers and increase access for patients that find accessing care difficult.
Virtual care can save patients time and money. Dr. Krupal Patel, a surgeon in Moffitt’s Head and Neck Oncology Program, has studied the impact of telemedicine. He used real patient data to determine savings. At Moffitt, he found that virtual care patients were able to save an average of 148 miles per visit. The time savings was significant too. Patients saved an average of 1.2 hours of time by connecting from home. Patients saved money as well. They saved $147 to $186 on gas, travel and lost wages per visit by connecting virtually.
Virtual care is equitable to in-person care. It isn't a second-class experience and does not jeopardize a patient’s ability to receive appropriate and adequate care. It is only a different way to connect. This means that services like live interpreters and nursing education are still offered to every patient.
At Moffitt Cancer Center, we believe in patient-and family-centered care. A virtual care visit must be clinically appropriate and agreed upon by the patient and care team. Learn more about Virtual Visits or ask your care team if you’re eligible for a telemedicine visit.