Remote Practice of Infectious Diseases Through Telemedicine: Improving Access for Patients and Appeal for Physicians

Abstract The specialty of infectious diseases (ID) is facing headwinds in attracting new physicians into training and clinical practice, leading to workforce shortage and rising burnout among existing ID physicians. The distribution of ID physicians across the country is skewed, and many Americans do not have access to ID expertise. Novel care models are needed to ensure the longevity of the ID specialty and patient access to ID care. ID telemedicine provides a new opportunity for ID physicians with the benefits of residing in one's preferred geographic location, eliminating the need to commute, and structuring the workday to improve work-life balance. This viewpoint, which includes personal experiences in transitioning from in-person to remote ID practice, describes the extent of challenges facing the ID specialty and how telemedicine can reduce burnout among ID physicians, attract more physicians into the specialty, and improve access to ID care. Here we present our experiences in infectious diseases (ID) telemedicine and its potential to attract new ID physicians into the workforce, alleviate burnout among existing ID practitioners, and improve access to ID care.