Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Be Done via Telemedicine?
When we first opened Redefined Health Clinic it was in the fall of 2021. At the time, the world was approaching almost 2 years since we had first heard of COVID-19. State and federal regulations of who can or can’t show up at a clinic were changing all the time and were honestly frustrating to keep track of.
The question became: Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Be Done via Telemedicine?
A year prior much of the healthcare world had already switched over to providing telemedicine via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. We knew this was an avenue for providing quality care. We started providing men’s health and hormone replacement therapy through Telemedicine in September 2021.
The Covid-19 pandemic has all but ensured that telemedicine will remain an important aspect of patient care – including hormone and testosterone replacement therapy
Enter Emergency Protocols
Because of all of the emergency COVID protocols that popped up, a lot of rules that previously limited what we could or could not do for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were temporarily or permanently wiped away, including providing HRT prescriptions via telemedicine.
Because of these rule changes, we were able to initiate HRT therapies like we hadn’t before:
- FDA-controlled medications, like testosterone, could be sent to pharmacies across the state.
- If a provider was licensed in another state, such as Montana like we are with Redefined Health Clinic, you can also send medications to patients across state lines.
- Telemedicine visits counted as legitimate as an in-clinic visit.
- Medication refills could be sent electronically instead of sending printed hard copies to a patient.
"Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is likely the next frontier for telemedicine in men’s health."
Access to Care
As with anything, there are always positives and negatives. This includes providing care via telemedicine, but especially with TRT. Providing care to brand new, or established, patients through telemedicine improves overall access to care.
Eliminating geographic barriers and improving convenience to patients improves patient outcomes.
Overcoming Stigmas
Telemedicine provides a way for men who may feel uncomfortable traveling to a doctor’s office to discuss their health issues in a more private setting. Symptoms of reduced energy, loss of body hair and beard growth, reduced muscle mass, depressed mood symptoms, reduced sex drive, and reduced erectile function are difficult to talk about.
The more access there is, the better the chances of treating these patients.
Patient Costs
Telemedicine reduces costs for both patients and providers. Considering the costs of travel, time off work, and the inconvenience of going to a clinic, telemedicine can provide financial savings of $124 for each virtual encounter
Patient & Provider Satisfaction
A recently published national survey of 38,000 patients with 620 video visits found that satisfaction scores were significantly higher for video visits compared to in-person visits.
Providers are also highly satisfied with telemedicine. The Telehealth Impact Study, of over 1500 providers, revealed high satisfaction rates with telemedicine.
Possible Pitfalls
As with any positive, there are possible negatives. Here are just a few that we’ve identified as possible pitfalls:
- Lack of physical exam – we’re already working on this with plans for Mobile medicine, and a brick & mortar location.
- Can’t administer medications – some men simply prefer to receive medication/injections in the clinic.
- Technology barriers – just because you own a smart device doesn’t mean it’s set up to use for telemedicine.
- Data breech/cyber security.
Redefined Health Clinic Workflow
Telemedicine offers so many possibilities for treating low testosterone. The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have ensured that telemedicine will remain an important part not only in general healthcare but also in men’s health and TRT.
Redefined Health Clinic, and many other men’s health clinics, remain committed to serving their patients with streamlined, convenient, and safe workflows to bring their patients the treatments they need with a convenience not experienced in any period of time. To see more of how Redefined Health Clinic works, visit our detailed workflow on: How the Process Works.