Alabama doctors use FACETIME on Mobile phones for office visits during COVID-19 outbreak

Alabama's caseload of Coronavirus patients has grown to 283. Healthcare providers are looking at innovative ways to get patients in touch with their doctors without a face to visit that might spread the illness. Tuscaloosa’s University Medical Center at the University of Alabama is now using the FACETIME video feature on mobile phones for office visits. Dr. Thomas Weida practices family medicine at UMC. He says not being able to touch his patients during an exam doesn’t get in the way of treatment… “Probably, a good seventy five percent of the time, I have a good idea of what’s going on with a patient just by history. So, a lot of things can diagnosed by either phone call or a two-way audio video communication.” The teleconference service known as ZOOM is another way University Medical Center is treating patients. State regulators are adjusting patient privacy regulations known as HIPPA to allow for this type of communication.