Telehealth
New guidelines issued by the Federation of State Medical Boards could have a chilling effect on the growth of telemedicine -- especially in rural areas and among low-income patients, say some patient advocates, healthcare providers and healthcare companies.
With consumers entranced by fast-evolving technologies and accustomed to price competition, healthcare is set to be transformed by innovations from other sectors of the economy such as retail and telecommunications, according to a new study by PwC's Health Research Institute.
New this year at the 2014 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, YourTurn has a democratic spirit. The slate of discussions on Tuesday -- from patient ID to EHR usability to telemedicine -- was drawn from ideas submitted by conference attendees.
"Rural is not a smaller version of urban," said Tom Morris, associate administrator for rural health policy at Health Resources and Services Administration, speaking Sunday at the pre-conference symposium, "Health IT and Rural Healthcare: Embracing Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges."
Onsite Occupational Health and Safety has tapped UPMC to provide second opinions and medical consultations in Afghanistan via telemedicine services.
Telemedicine, the exchange of medical information between sites via electronic communications, is being used not only by ICUs but also by other hospital departments, home health agencies and private doctors' offices. But skeptics suggest that small ICUs might be able to improve care with less expensive measures.
With an eye on reducing hospital readmissions and boosting patient care coordination, Partners HealthCare at Home, a division of Partner's HealthCare in Boston, is rolling out new remote monitoring technology.
Some 42 percent of U.S. hospitals have adopted telehealth platforms and are using the technology to treat patients, with several factors affecting market changes, according to new report findings.
Seeking ways in which IT can enable more coordinated care outside traditional settings, the Gary and Mary West Health Institute is launching a five-year study to explore new technologies and new approaches to chronic disease management.
Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, urged his mHealth Summit audience Dec. 10 to think of the smartphone as a modern-day Aladdin's lamp: Touch it, and all sorts of magic can happen. Denmark Minister of Health Astrid Krag talked about Denmark's initiative to reconfigure its healthcare system.