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TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine Under

COVID-19

By Alan Preston, MHA, ScD

COVID-19 has forced all types of participants in the marketplace I was unable to go to the gym because that State closed gyms to
to innovate in an effort to stay in business. Unfortunately, many protect residents. Had the gym sold food, maybe the government
companies were unable to pivot quickly enough, and as a result, they would allow a few people to enter the premises. Likewise, the gov-
have gone out of business. Well-known companies such as Neiman ernment decided that certain medical services were banned, placing
Marcus, JC Penny, J. Crew, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Gold's enormous financial strains on hospitals and healthcare providers
Gym, Sur la Table, Hertz, and Bravo restaurants, to name a few, that perform elective surgeries and procedures.
have filed for bankruptcy protection. There is a tendency to dismiss
the failure of some of these companies. Some reasons are due to Two fundamental problems face business during
the popularity of Amazon for online shopping and energy compa- the "management" of COVID-19:
nies for the glut of oil in the market, causing the price of a barrel
1. The demand for services drops off precipitously for
of oil to plummet.
most services
And all too often, business owners think it cannot happen to
them. Unfortunately, when the government decides to shut one 2. The supply is restricted due to social distancing constraints
business down over another, often there is little the business can (such as only allowing 25% of customers entering into a
do. Take Gold's Gym as an example. On a recent trip to California, location) imposed on businesses by local governments.

14 San Antonio Medicine • November 2020