The Technology Driving Telemedicine
The history of technology is not a series of giant leaps; it is a smooth process of adding minor improvements. Even the late Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” in 1969 was the culmination of several decades of incremental progress
The Cost Win-Win of Telemedicine
Telemedicine is defined most simply as the remote provision of health services using a combination of information technology and telecommunication. This combination allows healthcare providers and patients to connect using digital tools for distant medical consulting, assessment, diagnosis, health-related education,
Who Will Pay for Telemedicine?
Since the invention of the telephone, patients, and physicians have been calling one another. For most of the 140 years since Alexander Graham Bell, physicians did not even think of charging patients or insurance companies for advice given over the
Telemedicine and the Future of the Office Visit
Telemedicine is not a new concept; nevertheless, it took the COVID-19 crisis to generate widespread interest in telemedicine. In early 2020 there were widespread shutdowns of physicians’ offices and outpatient clinics and emptying of hospital wards and emergency rooms, even
Telemedicine and Digital Therapies
In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescribable digital therapies to treat disease, in this case, substance abuse. In early 2021, a health intelligence platform offered to manage pharmacy benefits for these digital therapies. This move
The Future of Telemedicine
Telemedicine is defined as the practice of medicine using electronic communications where the patient and the provider are in different locations. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was very little telemedicine practiced in the US. Of course, physicians and patients have
Telemedicine: The Pathway to Better Patient/Doctor Connections
Throughout the history of medicine, there have been two recurring themes: change and resistance to change. Changes in medicine came in the form of scientific advances such as the germ theory of disease, which resulted in the discovery of antibiotics
Telemedicine Before, During, and after COVID-19
Telemedicine is defined as any doctor–patient encounter that occurs via electronic means. The technology supporting telemedicine has been around for years; then it became essential in early 2020, and telemedicine became a household activity. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, typical healthcare systems