National Spine and Pain Center Locations Launch Telemedicine to Battle Coronavirus
Healthcare Leader Moves Quickly to Help People Suffering From Chronic Pain Avoid ERs
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- National Spine and Pain Centers (NSPC), the nation's leading network of chronic pain relief centers, today announced that it is making telemedicine immediately available to its affiliated providers and their patients seeking treatment of chronic pain. With more than 70 locations and 750 health professionals facilitating nearly a million patient visits a year, NSPC's implementation of telemedicine may be one of the largest and most rapid deployments of the technology to date.
The launch of telemedicine by NSPC is a direct response to the Trump Administration's recent announcement of expanded Medicare coverage for the service. "By quickly deploying telemedicine, not only are we providing an essential service to those suffering with chronic pain, we are also helping to ensure these patients don't end up in overburdened Emergency Rooms, where the risk of contracting coronavirus will surely be higher," says NSPC's Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Wisor, MD.
It has been estimated that the prevalence of chronic pain may be as high as 40% of the U.S. population. What's more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic pain has been linked to numerous physical and mental conditions, results in lost productivity, and contributes to high health care costs. Indeed, newly published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that in 2016 Americans spent an estimated $380 billion on lower back and neck pain, joint and limb pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders.
For both existing and new patients, the deployment of telemedicine provides remote access to affiliated pain management physicians in 10 states, including: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. "In many ways, the COVID-19 crisis has simply accelerated the future of medicine, and specifically the practice of pain management," says NSPC's Chief Medical Officer, Peter Staats, MD. "So, while it's difficult to find a silver lining in this situation, telemedicine is something that provides a valuable added benefit to patients. I suspect the expansion of its utilization will be one of the positive legacies that emerges in the wake of the coronavirus," concluded Dr. Staats.
About National Spine and Pain Centers:
For more than 30 years, NSPC affiliated providers have been pioneers in the relief of chronic and acute pain through minimally invasive procedures and leading-edge clinical research. Today, with more than 70 locations and 750 health professionals facilitating nearly a million patient visits a year, NSPC's network continues to be the healthcare brand more people trust for access to pain relief providers than any other. NSPC's stated mission is to end needless human pain and suffering by facilitating world-class care. For more information, visit www.TreatingPain.com.
Medical services are provided by independently operated physician practices that are branded as National Spine and Pain Centers.
SOURCE National Spine and Pain Centers
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