Executive Session: Improving telemedicine by training effective "medical virtualists"

As concerns over COVID-19 increased, many physicians have opted to see fewer patients in their offices and expanded their use of telemedicine. However, as practices increase their use of telemedicine, many doctors and patients have expressed concern that the level of care may not be equal to the traditional office visit and that telemedicine may compromise the physician-patient relationship. At the same time, some healthcare leaders describe the problems with telemedicine as growing pains that can be overcome with training and increased familiarity with the technology. In this episode, Dr. Michael Nochomovitz, Chief Clinical Partnerships Officer, Devoted Health, and the former Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Integration & Network Development Officer, New York Presbyterian; and Dr. Rahul Sharma, Professor and Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine / New York-Presbyterian, New York, discuss their work in advancing the idea of a "medical virtualist" and the skillset needed to effectively deliver telemedicine. Visit mgma.com/podcast for more podcasts, as well as mgma.com/covid-19 for MGMA's COVID-19 Recovery Center. Produced by Chris Harrop, MGMA senior editorial manager Intro/outro audio: "Street Walk," Paolo Pavan (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

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Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.