“I was more effective when I spoke less about the details of the bills and spent more time talking about how my experience in rheumatology is directly affected daily by COVID-19, telemedicine and workforce shortages,” Dr. Dein notes. “This impact on my life, as well as on the life of our patient advocates, were the most demonstrable examples of how congressional support can produce effective change in the field of rheumatology.”
He also gained new appreciation for the importance of getting involved. “Over the course of my medical training, I have noticed many inefficacies and disparities in our healthcare system. Today, I had the opportunity to directly work on enacting changes to this system,” Dr. Dein says.
Focus on Access to Care
In meetings with legislators and their staff, “We addressed protections for and access to telehealth moving forward, and communicated our shared experience using this tool,” says Blair Solow, MD, GAC chair. As physical distancing requirements have significantly impacted access to in-person evaluations, telemedicine has bridged the gap in patient care during the pandemic, especially in light of concerns for immune-suppressed or aging patients.
For Amy Barron, a patient advocate living with rheumatoid arthritis, participating in Advocates for Arthritis gave her the chance to share how telehealth has proved an invaluable connection to her rheumatology providers through the pandemic to maintain uninterrupted care for her rheumatoid arthritis.
“It’s imperative to maintain consistent care with an established provider, especially during unfavorable situations, such as what ’we’ve been faced with during the pandemic—the lines of communication must remain open,” Ms. Barron stressed. “There are times a patient might trivialize a new or changing symptom, yet a physician deems it necessary to have an in-person exam, or even lab work or X-rays. Follow-up situations such as these can be lifesaving.”
During her virtual meeting with a legislator on Sept. 15, Ms. Barron asked for support of legislation that will allow telehealth to be sustained through the pandemic and after to ensure long-term access to care, particularly in rural areas and those that lack rheumatologists.
Extending Telehealth
The ACR’s advocacy for telehealth to preserve and expand patient access to care supported a major point of discussion during the event, according to Lennie Shewmaker, JD, the ACR’s director of congressional affairs. Despite financial strains experienced through the pandemic, rheumatology providers have been able to continue patient care through the rapid adoption of telehealth, including audio and video appointments, she says.
