PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Zachary Pickell
AU  - Kathleen Gu
AU  - Aaron M Williams
TI  - Virtual volunteers: the importance of restructuring medical volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic
AID  - 10.1136/medhum-2020-011956
DP  - 2020 Dec 01
TA  - Medical Humanities
PG  - 537--540
VI  - 46
IP  - 4
4099  - http://mh.bmj.com/content/46/4/537.short
4100  - http://mh.bmj.com/content/46/4/537.full
SO  - J Med Humanit2020 Dec 01; 46
AB  - 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.