Hello COVID-19, it’s Me, Telemedicine.

I recently had a critical conversation with both my Chief Medical Director, Dr. Rafid Fadul, and my Co-founder, Griffin Mulcahey. And the net of the conversation was this:

“This is a perfect storm, and it’s scary: a world on the brink of a pandemic, entire countries in crisis and quarantine, and a growing shortage of doctors and healthcare workers. How do we orient the public conversation towards the solution that we KNOW exists to help mitigate fear and spread of contagion?”

Digital health. Virtual care. Telemedicine. All synonyms for the solution that’s been right in front of us for decades now, though underutilized and, frankly, underestimated.

There’s been a swell of conversation pointing toward this golden opportunity for telehealth platforms to rush to the aid of the nation. From CNBC, to Forbes, to Time, the mental paradigm around the role of telehealth is starting to shift. For the first time ever, we’ve even witnessed the CDC recommending an integrated care strategy that includes telemedicine in response to COVID-19 readiness. Even at the White House Briefing yesterday, Mike Pence announced that “insurers have agreed to cover telemedicine to allow people to speak to their doctors remotely about the coronavirus.” A win for digital health in a time of crisis.

Telehealth has never been so included in our healthcare conversation.

So how can telemedicine take advantage of her time to shine? At a minimum, virtual care can help clinicians triage patients and determine the best course of care for individuals in need of medical guidance — at the time when they need it most. Our population is craving access to care without exposure to the coronavirus. Telemedicine is poised to be one of the most reliable solutions. Even those that aren’t experiencing symptoms are desperate for clinically-sound education from a medical professional or trusted clinical resource. That’s another incredible opportunity in which telehealth can rise up. It possesses the power to both address the concerns of the “worried well” through education while providing a smarter means of triage and care navigation to those potentially infected by the virus.

And let’s not forget the third group we must keep serving: the non-emergent patient. Do you need your blood pressure medication refilled? Need to get care for your asthma condition? Those in need of everyday types of medical care can utilize telehealth to avoid ERs, urgent care clinics and primary care offices, freeing up brick-and-mortar care facilities to truly care for those that need help.

Of course, there are other strategies and points of care that will contribute to managing the care of our community in crisis. We’re seeing solutions for at-home lab testing for the COVID-19, drive-through pop-up testing clinics, and more. I have never witnessed such swift and open collaboration as I’m seeing now to bring to life new solutions to the market at a rapid pace — public and private groups are coming together, start-ups and big tech are co-ideating, and even competitors are putting their heads together.

But there’s a catch.

Telemedicine only works if it’s powered by trained and prepared clinicians participating behind the digital curtain.

The good news is that while we still have a shrinking clinical workforce, there’s no shortage of desire to help. There’s a groundswell happening — a call-to-arms of clinicians raising their virtual hands in droves to get involved. We’ve witnessed clinicians approaching Wheel in record numbers, voluntarily requesting access to critical training protocols and up-to-date facts about the virus and the global and local statistics.

This surge in interest by doctors and nurse practitioners to pitch in is one of the reasons I have dedicated my life’s work to helping lift up clinicians in every way possible.

How Wheel is Assisting in the Coronavirus Response

Training is the key to consistent, scalable, and high-quality care, and that’s the focal point of Wheel. By developing and delivering COVID-19 training as well as a solid foundation of virtual care training, we can optimize the power of digital care and telemedicine to reduce system burden and prevent unnecessary exposure.

Our contribution to the response effort surrounding COVID-19 is to provide the most in-depth, expert-based training to physicians and nurse practitioners on multiple fronts:

1. Telehealth best practices for patient care
2. CDC guided clinical protocols for screening and triage
3. Care navigation strategies for those at high-risk for infection
4. Relevant, evolving facts and data points

We’re adapting and distilling COVID-19 protocols in real-time as new information emerges, educating clinicians to be as up-to-date as possible as we continue to collectively learn how COVID-19 presents and manifests in our populations.

I have one focus right now: mobilizing a team of remote-and-ready clinicians who are as prepared as possible. We are participating in the response in the most responsible way we can for our community, our country, and our health. Every day I’m proud to remind myself of our mission at Wheel: to change the way healthcare works by putting clinicians first. That’s truly the best way to support the patient community, helping those that help others. Because we need their help now more than ever.