Opinion: What is and isn't telehealth care?

Perhaps during the pandemic you had a chat with your doctor about an ongoing condition or a new symptom that showed up. Your questions were answered, and maybe you got a prescription without stepping foot in a physician’s office. Those are the so-called telehealth doctor’s visits---new and not-so-new ways of getting health care. “Telehealth started in rural areas and has evolved,” says Melissa O’Connor, a gerontologist and associate professor at Villanova who is an expert on the topic. “During the pandemic, it really exploded.” But the word has been “misused,” she told me.