In a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth can offer numerous advantages for dental patients and the overall health system. A new communications brief from CareQuest Institute reviews the benefits of teledentistry, its various modalities and how states can promote it.
Highlights from the brief include:
- Although most states are supporting some form of telehealth, progress in the area of teledentistry is lagging behind other health disciplines.
- There are four key areas state policymakers should address to help teledentistry improve access: dental workforce, reimbursement policies, legal clarity and sharing patient information.
- By making permanent changes to laws and policies related to teledentistry, states would be better prepared to address needs during the current pandemic and in similar crises in the future.
Teledentistry can reach millions of children and adults who are not currently receiving services in the oral health system. And creating a supportive climate for teledentistry would help states reduce the barriers to care posed by a pandemic or another crisis in the future.
You may also be interested in:
- Teledentistry Use Gains Traction During COVID-19 highlights the continued value of telehealth and its opportunity to provide additional revenue while enhancing dental care access for current and new patients.
- Teledentistry is an Effective Tool to Triage Patients and Save Money explores dental service utilization patterns and rate of return following teledentistry visits.
- Patients Give High Marks to Their Teledentistry Experience highlights findings from a survey that shows of patients valued the option of teledentistry and that a clear majority who received it were pleased with their experience.
