Stay Updated on COVID-19-related Telemedicine Guidelines

Cindy Bracy ; Joanne Willer

With the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many outpatient clinics and facilities find themselves unprepared for telehealth visits. The care team’s clinical decision-making must first determine which patients are at higher risk for COVID-19 morbidity and then decide which of them still need evaluation. This process will dramatically increase patient phone calls and portal messaging in the coming weeks.

What You Need to Know About Telemedicine Coding During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Michelle Abraham, MHA, CCS-P; Joanne Willer, CPC

The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has relaxed the guidelines regarding telemedicine services due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. OCR will not impose penalties in the event of noncompliance with requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for physicians using applications such as Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video, or Skype.

COVID-19: A Personal Anecdote and Recommendations from Beijing, China

Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA, FAAOS; Julie Balch Samora, MD, PHD, MPH, FAAOS

Hongyi Shao, MD, is an arthroplasty surgeon at Jishuitan Hospital in Beijing, China. He pursued a research fellowship at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, which is where Antonia Chen, MD, MBA, FAAOS, met him. In an interview, Dr. Chen talked with Dr. Shao about his personal experiences during the COVID-19 crisis in China.

A Resident Sets Aside Disappointment to Embrace New Norm

Jennifer R. Sharp, DO

On the night of March 22, I was supposed to be on a red-eye flight from Portland, Ore., to Orlando, Fla., to attend the AAOS 2020 Annual Meeting. Like the rest of the country, though, my plans changed, and instead I sit here reflecting on what the most recent weeks have entailed.