via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1VnJDwd telehealthsuppliers.com
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
What’s caught my digital health interest recently
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1N17gpY telehealthsuppliers.com
Researchers disguise drugs as platelets to target cancer
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1M1lzoA telehealthsuppliers.com
Tattoo-like electronic health patches may now be cheaper and easier to make
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1O7p4jD telehealthsuppliers.com
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Software automatically tunes powered prostheses to the user
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1h88oJX telehealthsuppliers.com
Microscopic 3D-Printed Robots Remove Blood Toxins
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1L2wvWK telehealthsuppliers.com
Gel scaffold paves way for 3D printing of biological organs
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1O05zrB telehealthsuppliers.com
Spray-on Skin Exciting breakthrough for burn victims
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1NZfU73 telehealthsuppliers.com
Part time digital project manager sought for the mHabitat team
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1FEWBhU telehealthsuppliers.com
TSA Annual Conference 16th & 17th November: reminder (UK)
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1NYYKq3 telehealthsuppliers.com
Monday, September 28, 2015
Personal health ‘big data’ exchange is all good, right? Perhaps wrong.
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1FyOhAy telehealthsuppliers.com
Killer Line-up in the Medgadget Channel this Week…
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1GdJAH6 telehealthsuppliers.com
Many Patients Prefer Online Postoperative Care to In-Person Care
New Journal of American College of Surgeons study points to a greater role for patient-generated data in the future of postoperative care
American College Of Surgeons – September 28, 2015 – The majority of patients who undergo routine, uncomplicated operations prefer online postoperative consultations to in-person visits, according to results from a new study published online as an “article in press” on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website. The study will appear in the print publication of the Journal later this year.
In this prospective pilot study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., researchers tracked 50 patients who completed both online and in-person visits after their operations. The patients underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, umbilical hernia repair, or inguinal hernia repair. Seventy-six percent of this group said that online visits were acceptable as the only form of follow-up care. Further, the surgeons conducting the study said that for 68 percent of patients, online and in-person visits were equally effective; indicating that offering an option for online care may have largely impacted patient preferences
Lead study author Kristy Kummerow Broman, MD, MPH, resident physician in general surgery, said the research team approached the study by questioning whether all aspects of perioperative care need to take place in person, and thought that there might be a role for moving some postoperative care for certain operations to an online environment.
“To date, there has been minimal incorporation of these new care delivery modalities into general surgical care, and patients have been less frequently relied upon to generate their own data in the form of digital images,” the study authors wrote.
An online patient portal was used for the study that had previously been established at Vanderbilt as a way for patients to access health data and communicate with their care providers. As a prerequisite for participating, all study patients were required to have internet access and be able to take and upload digital images to the online portal. Next, patients were asked to upload digital wound images to the online portal using a smartphone, tablet, or digital camera and computer to the online portal. Surgeons then responded to patients about their symptom reports and wound images. The surgeon and patient did not need to be online at the same time, but uploaded and accessed information at their own convenience.
Images of patient wounds have previously been used more for provider-to-provider interaction, but having patients generate images for patient-to-provider consultation is a relatively new concept, according to Dr. Kummerow Broman. Not only did patients show a preference for online care in this study; the surgeons saw benefits for this type of follow-up approach as well. “By the end, all of our surgeons saw utility in the concept of online care,” Dr. Kummerow Broman said.
Despite the optimism from patients and surgeons, the researchers acknowledged certain limitations to the study. “The data revealed potential advantages of online postoperative care, including convenient access for patients, decreased patient travel times, and surgeon efficiency gains; however, these [benefits] must be carefully weighed against potential detriments of using patient-generated data to provide clinical assessment, including concerns about liability, provider work burden, and modified patient-provider relationships,” study authors noted.
“Some operations simply require an in-person assessment. We think the key is designing our tools for online care and developing appropriate standards for adequate online assessment so that providers can determine when online care is adequate and when in-person care may be needed,” Dr. Kummerow Broman said.
The study was designed to measure patient acceptance, and not to measure safety or quality of care, Dr. Kummerow Broman stressed. “We wanted to first establish whether this method is something that patients wanted, and now that we feel we have done so, we are continuing our research in this area trying to develop ways to measure safety and quality,” she explained.
Other study coauthors are Omobolanle O Oyefule, MD; Sharon E Phillips, MSPH; Rebeccah B Baucom, MD; Michael D Holzman, MD, MPH, FACS; Kenneth W Sharp, MD, FACS; Richard A Pierce, MD, PhD, FACS; William H Nealon, MD, FACS; and Benjamin K Poulose, MD, MPH, FACS. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
NOTE: Dr. Poulose received research support from Bard-Davol and is a paid consultant to Ariste Medical. All other authors have nothing to disclose. Support: This material is based upon work supported by the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA), Department of Veterans Affairs, VA National Quality Scholars Program and with use of facilities at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN. The project was also supported by the National Center for Research Resources, Grant UL1RR024975-01, and is now at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Grant 2UL1 TR000445-06.
Citation: Postoperative Care using a Secure Online Patient Portal: Changing the (inter)Face of General Surgery. Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
About the American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.
Contact: Dan Hamilton 312-202-5328 or Sally Garneski 312-202-5409 *protected email*
See Company Listings in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Many Patients Prefer Online Postoperative Care to In-Person Care appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1JyPGCc
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
Telemedicine Initiative helps doctors assess patients from miles away
KFVS – September 28, 2015 – Technology is allowing doctors to diagnose patients from miles away. It’s called the Southern Illinois Telemedicine Initiative. At the Harrisburg Medical Center, the initiative’s focus is on stroke patients. Instead of waiting for a doctor to arrive to the hospital, the hospital is able to call in through this program and the doctor can then hop online and assess, diagnose and help treat the patient from miles away, as if he or she were in the room with the patient.
Cameras that are attached to the monitors, allow the doctors to see the patients, patients’ families, and an up-close and detailed look of the patients.
In the event of the stroke, SIH Brain and Spine Neurointensivist, Dr. Alejandro Hornik said, said he’s able to give advice on therapy to the family.
“We know patients who have strokes, need to have the right therapy right away,” Dr. Hornik said.
“We get a complete assessment of the history, the vital signs,the blood work, we can see their neuroimages remotely from our computers and we can see the examinations and make very quick decisions on this life and death matter, which is stroke that creates tremendous disability in our society,” Dr. Hornik explained.
According to a press release, Telemedicine brings health care access to rural locations by enabling practitioners to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients remotely using the latest telecommunications technology and allows patients to receive expert medical care without having to travel.
“We’re seconds away from the bedside and this compensates from any traveling time,”Dr. Hornik said. “So we’re trying to compensate on the right emergent care with technology.”
The Southern Illinois Telemedicine Initiative connects SIH specialists to the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Herrin Hospital and St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, as well as Harrisburg Medical Center and Marshall Browning Hospital in DuQuoin.
Franklin Hospital in Benton and Hamilton County Hospital in McLeansboro are also apart of the Initiative and will go live within the next two months.
According to the release, the initial work involved standing up comprehensive resources to bring advanced stroke diagnosis and treatment (teleneurology) to each of the organizations in the telehealth network, and also created structure for additional needs in a variety of specialties ranging from fetal ultrasound to behavioral health (telepsychiatry).
Harrisburg Medical Center went live with the technology in earlier this spring.
Health officials say the purpose of the program is to deliver education, diagnosis or medicine between remote locations via telecommunications in “real time.”
“This will allow patients to connect with specialists anywhere in the country really,” Harrisburg Medical Center President, Rodney Smith said. “Telemedicine does not replace bedside care, but enhances the care, it allows us in rural areas to enhance that care.”
Health professionals of the Southern Illinois Telemedicine Initiative say this will provide better care quicker in rural areas where in-person treatment is not always readily available.
The technology purchases were from a $488,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Additional collaborators include the SIU School of Medicine, Illinois Hospital Association, Connect SI and SIH as a system.
Courtesy of Rae Daniel from KFVS
See Company Listings in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Telemedicine Initiative helps doctors assess patients from miles away appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1QJ2jA4
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
CliniCloud raises $US5 million to transform health care, announces Best Buy will carry connected medical kit
CliniCloud will connect parents and patients with doctors
CliniCloud – September 28, 2015 – CliniCloud, the consumer health tech company bringing healthcare into the home, announced it has closed a $US5 million funding round led by Tencent and Ping An Ventures ahead of the global launch of its first product, a connected medical kit for the home.
In addition to the funding news, CliniCloud announced Best Buy will carry CliniCloud’s connected medical kit in the United States and Canada, starting from this Holiday Season.
Tencent, a leading provider of internet services in China, led the seed round. Ping An Ventures, the venture arm of insurance and banking conglomerate Ping An, was the other major investor, along with prominent musician and investor, D.A. Wallach, Kosaku Yada (Sonar Group) and other private participants.
The funding will be used to accelerate the production and roll-out of CliniCloud’s first consumer products in the coming months — a world-first connected stethoscope, and non-contact thermometer. The funding will also support development of future products on CliniCloud’s roadmap, expand the team and help enable international expansion.
CliniCloud was founded by physicians Dr. Andrew Lin and Dr. Hon Weng Chong, when they realized today’s patients are starting to play a more active role in their own care. They wanted to equip everyone with the right tools to make better healthcare and diagnostic decisions.
Dr. Andrew Lin, CliniCloud CEO said:
“This funding round is an important boost to help us transform the way we think about healthcare in the home. The retail placement with Best Buy will ensure CliniCloud is accessible to everyone who needs our products, and we are very excited for the roll-out.
“The stethoscope and thermometer are gateways to critical information that helps physicians diagnose illness in patients. By digitising them and connecting them to a powerful apps and network of medical professionals through our partnership with telemedicine partners such as Doctor On Demand, we are empowering every parent and carer to play an active role in healthcare.”
David Wallerstein, Tencent Chief eXploration Officer said:
“The mobile internet is now ushering in a new era for health diagnostics. CliniCloud has taken a core tool for family physicians — the stethoscope — and brought it into the modern era. By allowing health practitioners to remotely listen to an individual’s lungs or heart, issues can be identified, treatments discussed, or concerns put to rest. Diagnoses can occur as frequently as the user desires and with great convenience. CliniCloud’s connected medical kit will empower users and provide them with new health choices and resources.”
Jiang Zhang, Managing Director of Ping An Ventures, said:
“The combination of mobile internet and healthcare will allow many existing medical services to be brought into the home, including common illness prevention, testing, diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, the products of CliniCloud are both medical grade quality and convenient to use, with the ability to connect with the cloud and provide follow-up services — a perfect combination for the burgeoning mobile health market.”
Deloitte estimates the mHealth industry to be worth $21 billion by 2018, Goldman Sachs estimates digital health tech could save the US healthcare system $305 billion, and PwC’s Health Research Institute Report 2014 concluded that “Digitally-enabled care is no longer nice-to-have, it’s fundamental for delivering high quality care.”
CliniCloud’s products will be available from Holiday Season 2015.
Media Kit
CliniCloud Media FAQ: http://ift.tt/1MBAxo4
Media Images: http://ift.tt/1MV4AtS
Media Contact
Kasi Reynolds
*protected email*
+61 450 131 102
About CliniCloud
CliniCloud develops modern home health technology. Its first product is a connected medical kit containing a digital stethoscope, a non-contact thermometer and a mobile app that empowers patients to proactively manage their wellness at home. A comprehensive at-home medical solution for patient-centered healthcare, the kit allows users to record basic vital signs including temperature, heart and lung sounds and then send the readings to their physician of choice or consult a network of on-demand medical professionals.
CliniCloud’s website is www.clinicloud.com. CliniCloud’s app will be available on iOS and Android from October 23.
Who is behind CliniCloud
CliniCloud was founded by physicians Dr. Hon Weng Chong and Dr. Andrew Lin. They swapped the scrubs for software development when they realized that today’s patients are starting to play a more active role in their own care, and wanted to equip everyone with the right tools to make better healthcare and diagnostic decisions.
CliniCloud is backed by Tencent and Ping An Ventures. CliniCloud (as “StethoCloud”) was runner up for Microsoft’s 2012 Global Imagine Cup Grant.
CliniCloud’s first product will initially be available through CliniCloud’s website and Best Buy in North America and offer telemedicine services through Doctor on Demand. CliniCloud also works with a number of global medical institutions on research projects involving its products, including University of California (UCSF) Medical Centre and Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital.
See CliniCloud in The Telemedicine Directory
The post CliniCloud raises $US5 million to transform health care, announces Best Buy will carry connected medical kit appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1RbT3oL
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
The Social Media Doctor: Pharmaceutical Industry enters into a new and exciting digital era in 2016
Solidifying digital strategy to enhance patient engagement at SMi Groups 8th annual conference on Social Media in the Pharmaceutical Industry
PRWEB UK – 28 September 2015 – As well as social media leading the way in pharmacovigilance, clinical trial recruitment and digital communications, the pharmaceutical industry is entering into a new and exciting digital era which is embracing patient engagement through sophisticated use of ‘social listening’ and playing a central role in cutting edge personalised healthcare such as wearable technology.
Building on the success of previous events, SMi Group are delighted to introduce the 8th annual conference on Social Media in the Pharmaceutical Industry, taking place on 20th and 21st January in Central London.
Bringing in voices from some of the most senior industry leaders in healthcare and digital marketing, such as Actelion, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lundbeck, Creation Healthcare, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Roche, the 2016 show will provide a platform for marketing practitioners to capture the latest trends and technologies, learn from practical case studies and benchmark best practice to maximise digital strategy.
The two day agenda will ask key questions such as:
• How are physicians leading the digital sphere and increasing global interaction?
• Can mHealth apps teach health-related survival skills?
• Will empowerment of patients transform ‘outdated’ cultural attitudes within Health?
• How can negative social media be countered?
• How can social media provide a lifeline for rare diseases in minority populations?
• How can pharma evaluate social media ROI?
• What is the future of pharma social media?
• How can wearable technology encourage self-care and become more integrated in a patients daily routine?, plus much more…
Featured speakers include:
• Daniel Ghinn, Founder & CEO, Creation Healthcare
• Kevin Lancashire, Head Web Strategy and External Digital Communications, Roche
• Duncan Cantor, Communication Director, Boehringer Ingelheim
• Liz Skrbkova, Global Communications Manager, Novo Nordisk
• Pinal Patel, Senior Enrolment Specialist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Scott Gavin, Director, Pfizer
• Stine Molgard Sorensen, Digital Interaction Business Partner, Lundbeck A/S
• Charlotte Roth, Corporate Communications Manager, Actelion
• Trevor Fossey, Patient Representative, NHS England
• Luis Albuquerque, Digital Strategy Team Leader Europe & Canada, Eli Lilly
• Dimithri Wignarajah, Head of Content and Social Media, GE Healthcare
A brochure and a full list of speakers is available to download at http://ift.tt/1L0zT4v
For those who are interested in attending, there is currently a £400 earlybird discount available online which expires on 30th September.
Social Media in the Pharmaceutical Industry
20th – 21st January 2016
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, London UK
http://ift.tt/1L0zT4v
Follow the conversation on Twitter at #pharmasocialmedia
Sponsored by Synexus
—END—
About SMi Group:
Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world’s most forward thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found at http://ift.tt/Ld9b9C
See Company Listing in The Telemedicine Directory
The post The Social Media Doctor: Pharmaceutical Industry enters into a new and exciting digital era in 2016 appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1KOwr9E
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
Americans overpaying for cancer drugs, say researchers: Up to 600x Cost!
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1GbXb1N telehealthsuppliers.com
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Hydrogel boosts uptake of stem cells in repairing damaged hearts
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1FBMTgn telehealthsuppliers.com
Haplogroups Explained: 23andME teaches
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1VgYSXR telehealthsuppliers.com
Hangout-Moderator
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1NUmKKU telehealthsuppliers.com
Saturday, September 26, 2015
CELLINK & RoosterBio Launch 1st Commercial Living Cellular Inks for Bioprinting
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1iThH2g telehealthsuppliers.com
What Could Your Genes Reveal About Your Future Health? “23 and me” founder Interview
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1FzH4zZ telehealthsuppliers.com
Bill Gates: the proliferation of mobile devices hasn’t yet revolutionized life in developing countries
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1QEzOU6 telehealthsuppliers.com
5 Tips To Avoid Cancer From A Doc Who’s Devoted His Life To Preventing The Disease
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1QEzOn4 telehealthsuppliers.com
Mobile phones are the greatest poverty-reducing tech EVER
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1YGOvfi telehealthsuppliers.com
Thursday, September 24, 2015
3D printed Tadpole Endoscope device can improve cancer diagnoses
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1KybRw0 telehealthsuppliers.com
Scientists uncover potential biomarker and drug target for autism
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1R4laGu telehealthsuppliers.com
Scientists to Develop Smart Nanosensor Device for Diabetic Patients
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1LQRnfZ telehealthsuppliers.com
Paralyzed man uses own brainwaves to walk again – no exoskeleton required
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1LQRnfW telehealthsuppliers.com
Angelrush and MD Aligne complete merger to form premier eHealth services provider transforming consumer health access and engagement
The creation of HealthRight brings together one of the leading Telehealth companies in the US with a leading Consumer Health Engagement company, redefining the eHealth sector.
PRNewswire – September 24, 2015 – The creation of HealthRight LLC brings together the power of a proprietary Consumer Health platform and methodology with a second generation Telehealth program to accelerate the adoption and utilization of eHealth clinical services, programs and ehealth services provider. With more than 2.6 million members and adding approximately 2,500 health consumers per day into the HealthRight suite of programs, HealthRight solves the two biggest issues impacting broad acceptance of first generation Telehealth programs – patient utilization and poor financial performance. “HealthRight’s portfolio brings together core competencies of patient engagement services, access and diagnostic programs, therapeutic fulfillment networks, and nurse care coordination services which uniquely position us to serve the payer, employer and direct to consumer markets unlike any Telemedicine provider to date,” says John R. Palumbo, Chief Executive Officer of HealthRight.
“HealthRight can now take advantage of years of Consumer Health Engagement capabilities that have served millions of consumers over the past 4 years, combining our ability to reach and educate consumers on clinical programs and therapies from our Silicon Valley marketing team and our 300 seat outreach center located in Tampa, Florida area. This now forms a company that has proven to deliver value to consumers and sponsors where early Telemedicine companies have struggled,” says Scott Roix, HealthRight’s President and co-founder of Angelrush.
Company Information:
MD Aligne, LLC is a leading provider of eHealth services in the US. Having delivered more than one million physician consults since its inception, MD Aligne serves the payer, employer and benefits consultant segments and is the leading direct to consumer provider of Telehealth, therapeutic networks and care coordination services.
Angelrush Ventures is a consumer health marketing and data analytics company located in San Francisco. Founded in 2010, it’s successfully developed a platform for direct to consumer Internet marketing by controlling and owning every step of the consumer lifecycle. Their customers have higher engagement, stronger intent, and provide more insightful data. As a result, the platform has a lower cost of acquisition, greater customer lifetime value and most importantly, thorough understanding of our customer.
See Company Listings in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Angelrush and MD Aligne complete merger to form premier eHealth services provider transforming consumer health access and engagement appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1Pzf28e
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
Telemedicine Solution Provider Avizia Reports High Growth
Marketwired – September 3, 2015 – Avizia, a telemedicine solution provider, today announced 1H’15 financial results exceeding expectations. Year over year (YoY) revenue growth was nearly 100%. Over 70 customers were added in the first half of 2015, bringing current customer volume to over 400.
With 35 of the top 100 hospital delivery networks in the US, and 7 of the top 10 hospital networks/IDNs now using Avizia, the company is revolutionizing the telemedicine industry by providing the first fully integrated telehealth platform — combining video devices with clinical workflow management and HIPAA compliant communication software. A market that’s projected to eclipse $5 Billion over the next five years, healthcare providers are rapidly integrating telemedicine into their clinical workflows as a means of improving healthcare outcomes, dramatically extending the reach of medical practitioners, and increasing the efficiency of care delivery.
“We continue to have an amazing year, with results to date far exceeding expectations,” said Mike Baird, CEO, Avizia. “Our customers speak to the profound impact we are having on the way doctors and patients provide and receive care.”
About Avizia
Avizia is revolutionizing the emerging Telemedicine industry — the first to deliver a fully integrated telemedicine solution combining video devices with clinical workflow management and HIPAA compliant communication software. Avizia sells packaged telemedicine solutions that address the most common modalities that healthcare providers are striving to address today — including telestroke, behavioral health, e-visits, and emergency care. For more information, visit www.avizia.com.
Media contact:
Chris Walker
Email Contact
Read more: http://ift.tt/1NXtJVb
See Avizia in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Telemedicine Solution Provider Avizia Reports High Growth appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1NXtKIB
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
Recent Position Paper Highlights the Growing Usefulness of Telemedicine in Caring for Patients, Notes Telemedicine Physician Group
Commenting on the recent paper, the digital practice elaborates on just how effective telemedicine can be at lowering costs and increasing the quality of patient care.
PRWEB – September 24, 2015 – According to an American College of Physicians position paper recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, telemedicine – the practice of delivering medical care remotely — has come a long way in the past half-decade in terms of proving its effectiveness at providing certain medical services for patients at a cost that is greatly reduced compared to in-person appointments. Specifically, the paper states that since 2008, “The use of [telemedicine] technologies has been shown to increase patient satisfaction while delivering care that is similar in quality to, and in some cases more efficient than, in-person care and support.” Yet, the paper also notes that, with such a new and constantly developing field, there are steps that telemedicine physicians should take in order to assure that no patient receives substandard care because of their choice to opt for telemedicine. According to virtual medical care provider Telemedicine Physician Group, several of the ACP’s recommendations are particularly important and are specially emphasized by their physicians when providing remote care for patients.
• A Strong Relationship – One of the most important recommendations made by the ACP is that medicine, whether in person or remote, should always be based around a strong doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Michael Farzam, the founder and CEO of Telemedicine Physician Group, notes that the convenience of telemedicine should not be the end-all-and-be-all, and patients should still seek out a constant dialogue with their remote physician whenever they have a medical issue that requires attention. As noted by the ACP, a strong doctor-patient relationship can be established through remote telemedicine.
• Affordability – The ACP also acknowledges that, as with all medical care, cost should be considered as the field advances. Telemedicine Physician Group notes that they are proud to offer an affordable flat rate for telemedicine visits, and that they work hard to cut administrative costs so that all finances can be devoted to exceptional patient care.
• Equal Standards – Just as a strong doctor-patient relationship shouldn’t be compromised, both Dr. Farzam and the ACP note that the overall quality of care should also be held to the highest standards when practicing telemedicine. Dr. Farzam acknowledges that a great many medical problems still need to be remedied with in-person care, and it takes a forthcoming and knowledgeable physician to know when care must be advanced to the next stage.
Dr. Farzam and the rest of the physicians at Telemedicine Physician Group hold patient safety and care in the highest regard, and work tirelessly to ensure that they are up to date with all current telemedicine best practices and recommendations. Any patients interested in scheduling an appointment with one of the group’s doctors today can call 800-611-2977 or visit online at http://ift.tt/13hJYXK.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1NXtKII
See Company Listings in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Recent Position Paper Highlights the Growing Usefulness of Telemedicine in Caring for Patients, Notes Telemedicine Physician Group appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1izkywG
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
Marketing Your Practice
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1QArODy telehealthsuppliers.com
Things to Consider Before Getting Lip Injections in Toronto
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1iNR9Q5 telehealthsuppliers.com
How to Prepare for a Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Toronto
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1FhwL3H telehealthsuppliers.com
Argentinean student designs online 3D printing database for doctors
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1MKKPFn telehealthsuppliers.com
Healthcare is finding a comfort level with wearables
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1KDq74C telehealthsuppliers.com
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
A ‘feel-good’ car seat to reduce driver stress
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1NNREEK telehealthsuppliers.com
Does telemedicine video quality influence clinical acceptance?
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1FgQEb8 telehealthsuppliers.com
ROBOSOFT’s Kompaï-2 debuts, wins award (FR)
via Telehealth and Telecare Aware » Latest News http://ift.tt/1KRJYk0 telehealthsuppliers.com
Rural Telemedicine in the U.S. & Developing Nations
Rural Telemedicine in the U.S. & Developing Nations
Rural telemedicine in the United States is receiving great attention, with considerable effort being applied to changing laws and reimbursement policies. Rural telemedicine is consistently moving forward thanks to diminishing legal barriers in the United States. Efforts like the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) National Telehealth Lobby Day are vital in raising awareness at the congressional level. Still, many hurdles must be overcome to achieve wide-scale deployment of services in rural regions.
Developing nations also encounter many of the same challenges as the United States; however those countries also face a number of challenges unique to their circumstances. In this article iTelemedicine examines the current state, existing obstacles, and future opportunities for rural telemedicine in the United States and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Challenges in Rural America
One company making strides in rural access to telemedicine is SkyMD, a specialty-specific telemedicine platform for medical practices. Founder and CEO Eric Price told iTelemedicine that despite some wins, there are still three major hurdles rural telemedicine must face:
- Insurance Coverage: “There have been great advances in coverage for video chat telemedicine over the past few months,” Price “However coverage for asynchronous communication, which is a more cost-effective method of treatment for many conditions, is still not broadly available.”
- State-specific license fees for physicians: These required fees can make it difficult and prohibitively expensive for doctors to treat patients across state lines. Physicians currently shell out a total of $300 million to be licensed in multiple states, according to the ATA.
- Adoption at the local level: Telemedicine is being slowly introduced in rural environments, but it is still a very nascent concept and there is a lot of work to be done to build awareness among both doctors and patients.
Oftentimes, patients living in outlying areas have long drives to the nearest medical facility and simply choose to not travel rather than get much-needed treatment. “At best, this drives up healthcare costs unnecessarily, and at worst it can lead to potentially fatal complications for the patient down the road.” Price said.
Opportunities in Rural America
Ned Thurman, CEO of Telehealth Solutions identifies key growth areas: “Stroke (neurology) consults were one of the first telemedicine programs provided to rural healthcare and it changed the ability to deliver specialty care to patients unable to reach urban facilities. However, rural telemedicine is still in the early stages of growth with expansion into pediatrics, pulmonology, and behavioral health on the rise.”
Thurman sees opportunity in utilizing government grants to reduce the initial “cost of ownership” as well as taking advantage of the new and lower cost wave of Telemedicine As A Service (TaaS) products. In this way many rural facilities can begin offering additional clinical lines of service as well as accessing specialist consults that were previously unavailable.
In Sub-Saharan Africa
The challenges to delivering rural healthcare in the United States are considerable. However they perhaps pale in comparison to healthcare delivery in developing nations such as the Sub-Saharan African region.
One company focusing on telemedicine in rural Africa is Med1 Healthcare of McLean, Virginia. Yaya Mbaoua, Med1’s VP of Sales and Business Development, believes telemedicine technology is the best way to provide both basic medical services and specialist resources in the remote areas of Africa.
“More than 50 percent of the population in African countries lives in remote regions,” Mbaoua explained. “Conversely, most physicians in Africa only practice in bigger cities that have good infrastructure and a more concentrated patient-base.” This leaves a massive gap in medical care, considering the average doctor-to-patient ratio in Africa is one doctor to about one million inhabitants.
Most telemedicine programs in African countries have been largely experimental and academic in nature, consisting of pilot programs and some remote medical training.
“By-and-large, it’s very hard to find telemedicine services deployed at scale and used in real-life clinical situations in areas where it’s most needed. That’s where the promise of telemedicine becomes very acute.” according to Mbaoua. Large-scale adoption, from government policy and budgeting to training for sustainability at the practice level, is what Med1 is working toward.
Mbaoua identified 3 primary factors inhibiting wide-scale deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa:
- Education: “Many of the long-serving medical professionals and decision-makers aren’t very computer literate,” Mbaoua said. “That becomes an obstacle to adoption of the technology.”
- Limited budgets: Telemedicine could have an incredible impact in many African countries. However, government priorities often lie within defense, education, and general healthcare. “Some countries have even suspended telemedicine initiatives based on financial constraints and political will,” Mbaoua added. “There has to be emphasis at the top.”
- Political Will: Med1 works with the ministries of health in African countries to raise awareness and the level of priority for telemedicine. South Africa and Ethiopia have already taken substantial steps to adopt telemedicine. Likewise, Cameroon has been very pro-active in setting policies in preparation for telemedicine systems.
Ebola Effected Regions
Perhaps some of the more challenging, yet sharply needed environments for telemedicine have been in Ebola-stricken countries. Ebola became an issue primarily because of the lack of infrastructure for early detection of the disease.
“Clearly if you have a telemedicine system in use for primary care, the same system can be utilized for early detection of possible epidemics,” Mbaoua commented. He believes that had there been an effective telemedicine system with real-time data access, in any of these Ebola effected countries, it would have been possible to early-detect incidents, implement quarantine, or take other steps to inhibit spread before it became a major issue.
Technologies Making A Difference
Let’s take a look at recent developments in technology and how they impact the quality of healthcare in rural regions. SkyMD’s Eric Price believes increased growth in smartphone penetration is making a big difference.
“With smartphones, patients can exchange information with their doctor securely on the go,” Price said. “In addition, with advances in camera phone quality over the past few years, doctors can diagnose many conditions virtually from a camera phone image with accuracy that’s comparable to a face-to-face encounter.”
For similar reasons, Yaya Mbaoua agrees.
“The fact that most people in Africa, even in remote areas, have access to a cellphone is significant,” he said. “As this technology becomes more sophisticated and bandwidth increases, mobile phones will become the way that services will reach the most remote regions.”
The Years Ahead
As demand for healthcare services escalate due to the Affordable Care act, Eric Price believes there will be a critical physician shortage in rural areas. “Telemedicine will be increasingly necessary to bridge the gap,” he predicted. “The models that succeed will be those that develop creative ways to build awareness and that make the experience as simple and intuitive as possible for both doctors and patients.”
Telehealth Solution’s Ned Thurman believes that the future of telehealth lies with systems that enable the provider and patient to communicate wherever, whenever, and however they choose, with security. For this transformation to happen telehealth needs to leverage three concepts:
- Mobility – Enabling healthcare transactions to take place between provider and patient regardless of location or distance.
- Simplicity– Technology that is easy to use for both providers and patients.
- Convergence– Converging and enabling communication across all mediums regardless of platform or brand. Both patient and provider can personalize and customize the experience.
For developing nations, telemedicine is a long-awaited solution to an extreme need. Yaya Mbaoua projects that telemedicine will rapidly evolve to become the norm – even mainstream – for medical systems in Africa. “It will become the defacto delivery method for services not only in Africa, but in all developing nations and in the rural United States itself,” Mbaoua said.
Find ATA, Med1 Healthcare, SkyMD and Telehealth Solutions in The Telemedicine Directory
The post Rural Telemedicine in the U.S. & Developing Nations appeared first on iTelemedicine.
from iTelemedicine http://ift.tt/1LwarV2
via IFTTT telehealthsuppliers.com
UK Team Experiments with 4D Printed Artificial Muscles
via Internet Medicine Digital Healthcare http://ift.tt/1KOpKYA telehealthsuppliers.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)