%0 Journal Article %A Zachary Pickell %A Kathleen Gu %A Aaron M Williams %T Virtual volunteers: the importance of restructuring medical volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic %D 2020 %R 10.1136/medhum-2020-011956 %J Medical Humanities %P 537-540 %V 46 %N 4 %X Healthcare systems have postponed medical volunteering services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, much of the aid provided by these volunteers is crucial to patient care and hospital functioning in the American healthcare system. The adoption of online video conferencing platforms in healthcare—telehealth—offers a novel solution for volunteering during this pandemic. Virtual volunteering can alleviate pressures on medical workers, enhance patient experiences, reduce the risk of viral infection and provide a sense of normalcy for patients and families. Although further study is required, this should be an avenue considered by health systems. %U https://mh.bmj.com/content/medhum/46/4/537.full.pdf