COVID-19

Telehealth updates and resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in demand for telehealth services, enabling physicians to provide patients with care in the current era of social distancing. Our Telemedicine section is the go-to source for the latest tools and recommendations for adopting telehealth in your practice.

On-demand webinars

The AOA and AOIA have produced a series of telemedicine webinars to provide assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• New rules for telehealth documentation and technology: Jill Young, CPC, CEDC, CIMC, explains best practices for telehealth billing and coding.
• HIPAA and telemedicine: Review the OCR’s new COVID-19 guidance on HIPAA and the federal civil rights laws, as it pertains to telemedicine. Lee Hamil Little, JD & Brian Tuttle, CPHIT, CPA, CHA, CBRA, CISSP, walk physicians through common do’s and don’ts.
• Telemedicine – Successfully practicing medicine from a distance: Telehealth veteran and osteopathic family physician Michael Brown, DO, shares lessons learned and best practices for implementing telemedicine in your practice.

Practice guide

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the AOA created a practice guide highlighting telehealth updates to aid physicians with implementation in their practices.

Telemedicine licensing regulations

Looking for information on current telehealth and licensing regulations in your state? View a state-by-state breakdown.

COVID-19 physician/patient notes for employers

The AOA Physician Services Department has heard that members are writing numerous work notes for patients. We’ve developed these template notes to lessen the administrative burden facing our busy physicians to help them provide documentation in a timely manner. View the PDF versions with AOA watermarks, or download the Word versions to customize them for your practice.

Exclusive opportunity for AOA members: New patient safety card that leverages QR technology

The AOA is proud to announce an exclusive joint patient safety initiative with The Broselow Institute to introduce Emergency and Telemedicine Safety Cards to our members and their patients at no cost. The cards, which leverage patented barcode technology, provide an innovative way to support patient safety during acute transitions of care and with telemedicine visits. Learn more.

Treating patients with substance abuse disorder during the pandemic

Access resources and information from government agencies and osteopathic affiliates focused on caring for patients with substance use disorder, chronic pain or mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reopening Your Osteopathic Manipulative Medical Practice webinar

Safe and careful reopening is possible for your OMT practice. This webinar will outline strategies to help establish precautions and reduce fears related to patient care so that you can safely re-open your practice.

• For CME, register on AOA Online Learning. Or watch for free on (with no CME), visit our YouTube channel.

New e-Learning CME on OMM techniques that provide relief for COVID-19

We are excited to partner with the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) to offer an online learning activity to help you review applicable OMM techniques for optimizing pulmonary function in COVID-19 or suspected  COVID-19 patients.  The e-Learning module, titled, “Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Techniques Addressing Respiratory Symptoms of COVID-19” will provide a refresher in applicable OMM techniques. Free for all members and non-members, the patient-centered CME will offer 1.0 AOA 1-B credit or 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Learn more and enroll today.

Search AOA & affiliate on-demand CME activities

With all in-person CME conferences cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, many physicians and medical students are looking to on-demand resources for education opportunities. The AOA CME Search provides a searchable listing of on-demand and live CME programs, including education offerings from the AOA and affiliate organizations.

Courses now available include:

• Webinars on telemedicine
  • Successfully practicing at a distance
  • Navigating HIPAA
  • Billing and coding
  • Impacts of Medicare’s April 30 Final Rule
• Physician contract issues in light of COVID-19
• COVID-19 and smoking: latest updates from the CDC and the frontlines
• How to market your practice during/after COVID-19
• Health and wellness during the pandemic

Many of our on-demand webinars are later uploaded to the AOA YouTube channel, where they can be viewed for free (with no CME).

Additional on-demand CME programming can be accessed on docme.org.

On-demand CME: Frontline perspectives on COVID-19 & OMM

The AOA and American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) are partnering to offer an online learning activity featuring first-hand accounts from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hugh M. Ettlinger, DO, an OMM residency director at Saint Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York, shares surprising insights from treating COVID-19 patients with OMM. Earn 0.75 AOA 1-B credit or 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Get started.

Free SelfStudy course for frontline COVID-19 physicians

This FREE self-guided course, offered by International Society of Travel Medicine’s Professional Education Committee and hosted on SelfStudy’s education platform, is designed for busy clinicians. Complete short learning segments focused on epidemiology, risk factors for severe disease, therapeutics and personal protection for healthcare workers.

Bureau of Emerging Leaders provides list of online CME options

Officers of the AOA’s Bureau of Emerging Leaders recently compiled a listing of online CME and learning resources for DOs and osteopathic medical students. The list includes COVID-19 education and resources, as well as specialty-focused learning opportunities. View the list on The DO.

DOs develop DIY guide to create P100 respirator mask with 3D printer

Steve Martin, DO, and James R. Latronica, DO, residents at the Clarion Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in Clarion, Pennsylvania, have developed a design for a P100 respirator mask, called the Unity, and an instruction manual to make it using a 3D printer.

Thanks in part to a grant from the American Osteopathic Information Association and the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Foundation, the design and instruction manual, which includes a supply list, suggested budget and a detailed step-by-step tutorial, is available free-of-charge for download.

Free access to COVID-19 articles from International Anesthesia Research Society

In response to the current global coronavirus pandemic, the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) is sourcing and providing access to the most current and relevant articles related to COVID-19, including studies with future publication dates. Most are available without requiring login to their respective journals. Content will be updated daily. Learn more.

Expedited credentialing and waived licensing requirements

Many states have eased licensing requirements to allow more physicians to help meet the growing healthcare needs of the pandemic. AOA members can send their AOA Profile to all state medical boards at no cost; and non-members only pay a nominal fee. This benefit can enable you to serve in areas of need more quickly through expedited credentialing. Get started.

Consult the Federation of State Medical Boards for a detailed list of states expediting licenses for inactive or retired physicians to return to practice during the pandemic, as well as a list of states temporarily waiving licensure requirements.

AOA/AOIA wellness webinar now available on YouTube

On May 7, AOA/AOIA hosted a webinar titled “Health & Wellness During the Pandemic,” which included a variety health strategies, from general tips on sleep and healthy eating to ways to stay fit during the pandemic.

It also included information and resources on social and emotional wellness. View the presentation slides, or watch for free (with no CME) on YouTube. To get CME credit, viewers must register through AOA Online Learning.

National Academy of Medicine shares strategies to support physician wellness

Recognizing the likelihood that the COVID-19 crisis may exacerbate existing levels of burnout and mental health stressors, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has compiled a list of strategies and resources to support the health and well-being of clinicians providing health care during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wellness apps offer free access during COVID-19

Recognizing the need to help health care workers manage the stress of being on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic, several wellness apps are now offering free access.

• Calm is currently offering a discounted one-year subscription, through AOA Member Deals, for $29.99 (usually $69.99). Register now.
• Headspace is currently offering all healthcare providers free access to premium content, including guided exercises to reduce stress, increase movement and promote sleep. Register now.
• Ten Percent Happier is offering health care workers unlimited access to app content, including live events, podcasts and personal coaching. Register now. 
• Sanvello has opened all premium content to the public, including modules on self care, peer support, coaching and therapy. Register now.

AOA announces one-year extension of board eligibility

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS) and division of Certifying Board Services (CBS) announced a one-year extension of board eligibility status will be granted to graduating residents and other physicians seeking initial certification or recertification in 2020, among other policy changes, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.

CBS will provide assistance for resident physicians impacted by exam postponements

The CBS team is working to assist program directors with information and updates and will be ready to support residency graduates with expedited board certification once training requirements are met so that delays in board certification are avoided.

COVID-19 Information Hub and Insurance Guide for physicians

Physician offices have unique insurance needs, especially during a pandemic. AOA Insurance, powered by Gallagher, offers two resources to assist physicians during the public health crisis. The COVID-19 Information Hub provides updates on business and human resources coverage. In addition, Gallagher’s guide to Responding to the Coronavirus will prepare you to review key insurance policies and business continuity plans.

View your state’s COVID-19 emergency declaration

The President’s emergency and major disaster declarations make states eligible for federal funding, including reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for costs associated with measures taken to save lives and to protect public health and safety. View the full list of state declarations.