Page 8 - 2020 Summer CMTA Report

COPING WITH C VID-19

r. Mario Saporta, direc- it was pre-pandemic: He “sees”
tor of the CMTA Center new patients in one-hour time
CMT Patients of Excellence at the Uni- slots on Mondays. On Wednes-
versity of Miami’s Miller
days there are multidisciplinary
School of Medicine, con- follow-up appointments lasting
Turn to Dphysical evaluation of a two to three hours that include
ducted his last face-to-face
time with a nurse and other spe-
Telemedicine new CMT patient on March 11. cialists, each spending 30 minutes
with the patient. Afterward,
On March 25, he began seeing
the team connects to review
new patients for the first time via
For Treatment telemedicine. By the end of April, recommendations. Follow-up
appointments are a little easier,
the clinic was back up to pre-pan-
he says, because the patients are
demic levels.
During telemedicine are often used inter- already known to the team.
The terms telehealth and
New patients are sent instruc-
Pandemic changeably, but telehealth is an tions on connecting to Zoom
umbrella term referring to the use
along with a reminder to make
of a virtual platform to deliver
sure their computers or mobile
health information, prevention, devices are fully charged. They’re
BY MARCIA SEMMES monitoring and medical care from also instructed to place their video
healthcare practitioners like nurses devices eight feet from the side of
and physical therapists. Telemedi- their beds or sofas so they can
cine is generally understood to remain fully visible to the doctor
mean a virtual appointment with a during the physical assessment.
doctor. The doctor also watches patients
According to Dr. Saporta, the standing and walking.
clinic’s format is much the same as The new-patient letter asks

8 THE CMTA REPORT SUMMER 2020