TY - JOUR T1 - Virtual volunteers: the importance of restructuring medical volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic JF - Medical Humanities JO - J Med Humanit SP - 537 LP - 540 DO - 10.1136/medhum-2020-011956 VL - 46 IS - 4 AU - Zachary Pickell AU - Kathleen Gu AU - Aaron M Williams Y1 - 2020/12/01 UR - http://mh.bmj.com/content/46/4/537.abstract N2 - 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. ER -