Recent shifts in telehealth policy have forced some spine surgeons to adapt, Reid Hoshide, MD, said.
Dr. Hoshide, of the Neurosurgical Institute of Hawaii in Honolulu, shared his strategy with Becker’s.
Question: How are changes to telehealth access affecting your day-to-day work? What is your practice doing to get ahead of changes in telehealth access?
Dr. Reid Hoshide: This region is a uniquely positioned geographical archipelago composed of eight main islands that stretch across approximately 350 miles. Of these eight islands, only two — Oahu and Maui — currently have practicing spine surgeons. The remaining islands—Niihau, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii Island—collectively have a population of nearly 300,000 residents, and zero spine surgeons.
Telehealth services are therefore vital for connecting with patients on these outer islands. This is particularly important for patients with spinal disorders, who may face financial hardship from being unable to work or the physical challenges of air travel between islands. Since the Medicare telehealth policy changes, I have continued to provide virtual consultations with the hope that previous, more flexible guidelines will be reinstated.
