A long-touted health-care revolution may at last be about to arrive
THE idea of telemedicine—health care provided using telecommunications equipment—has a lengthy history. Radio News, an American magazine, devoted its cover to a patient at home consulting a doctor in his surgery via a television link as long ago as 1924. When NASA began monitoring astronauts in space in the 1960s, fantasy became reality. It has been touted as health care’s future ever since.
But even smartphones and tablets have failed to usher in the telemedicine revolution: most health care still happens face to face. Now, enthusiasts think the wait is nearly over. Governments have been slow to embrace an approach that could improve coverage and outcomes, as well as saving money. But they are under increasing pressure from ageing populations and a surge in chronic diseases, just as public budgets are being squeezed.
At an industry conference in Rome on October 7-8th, participants discussed the problems that must be solved if telemedicine’s day is to come. They include redesigning laws and payment systems set up for face-to-face care, and finding ways to keep patients’ data secure and private.
In America, the world’s largest health-care market, states license doctors. Jurisdiction depends on the patient’s location, not the doctor’s—so doctors must be licensed in all states where they have patients, and meet care standards that René Quashie, a health-care lawyer, says are “complicated, incoherent and sometimes contradictory”.
The situation in the European Union is simpler: countries may not pass laws that would stop doctors practising telemedicine, and doctors need only be licensed in one country to practise in all. But member states do not agree on whether to pay for care that is administered remotely; some, including Germany, rarely pay for it at all.
In America only 21 states mandate that telemedicine be compensated at the same rate as face-to-face care. At the federal level, the Veterans Administration has embraced telemedicine whereas Medicare, the public-health programme for the elderly, largely ignores it. But private employers and insurers are increasingly paying for telemedicine, encouraged by a shift to paying doctors for packages of care rather than per service. This has “opened the door” to remote care, says Jonathan Linkous of the American Telemedicine Association.
The Latest on: Telemedicine
via Google News
The Latest on: Telemedicine
- Global Telemedicine Market Report 2022 - 2027: High Potential for Cost Savings, Healthcare Availability, and Increased Efficiencyon June 24, 2022 at 5:15 am
The "Telemedicine Market by Technology, Deployment, Therapeutic Type, and Application 2022 - 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
- Telemedicine Technologies and Services Market is Predicted to Rise at a CAGR of 13.8% during the Forecast Period, observes TMR Studyon June 23, 2022 at 8:30 am
The value of the global telemedicine technologies and services market stood at US$ 144.2 Bn in 2021. Future market outlook for telemedicine technologies and services estimates the market to rise at ...
- SHL Telemedicine to appoint Jason M. Bottiglieri, a highly experienced healthcare executive, as General Manager of SHL Telemedicine USAon June 23, 2022 at 5:17 am
Jason Bottiglieri held senior leadership roles within the cardiovascular device market including Invatec (acquired by Medtronic), Spectranetics ...
- UNDP helps Vietnam develop grassroots telemedicineon June 23, 2022 at 4:58 am
Grassroots telemedicine solution using 4.0 technology has helped address geographical distance, enabling commune health staff in mountainous areas to seek consultation from their colleagues at the ...
- Global Telemedicine Market Report 2022 - 2027: Self-Diagnosis is Fastest Growing Segment within the Industryon June 23, 2022 at 1:58 am
The "Telemedicine Market by Technology, Deployment, Therapeutic Type, and Application 2022 - 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Select Findings: The overall telemedicine ...
- Carilion Clinic expands telemedicine and online scheduling serviceson June 22, 2022 at 2:41 pm
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Carilion Clinic is expanding its access to telemedicine and online scheduling with two, new smartphone apps. Patients can now visit urgent care doctors through the Carilion Now ...
- PrestoDoctor Expands Cannabis Telemedicine Service to Texason June 22, 2022 at 1:21 am
MESQUITE, NV / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Cannabis Sativa, Inc. (OTCQB:CBDS) announces that PrestoDoctor - the #1 patient-rated medical cannabis telemedicine service - now offers its online medical ...
- Survey responses sought to gauge telemedicine use in regionon June 21, 2022 at 3:20 pm
In an expansion of their telehealth partnership, the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization and Adirondack Health Institute have created the North Country Digital Inclusion Coalition to ...
- As cross-state telemedicine waivers expire, virtual care advocates focus on long-term policy changeson June 21, 2022 at 9:03 am
Telehealth advocates are looking to capitalize on virtual care’s positive momentum after two years of COVID-19, hoping to shape a friendlier physician licensing landscape as states increasingly ...
- Dr Debra Patt: Telemedicine’s Contribution to Cancer Care Robust and Meaningfulon June 20, 2022 at 9:15 am
Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology, discusses how enhancements to telemedicine precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic have made lasting and meaningful changes to ...
via Bing News