Communicating with patients via portals or telemedicine does not significantly reduce in-person physician visits, according to a study in the March issue of Telemedicine and e-Health. Researchers from Mayo Clinic, of Rochester, Minn., conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,357...
A controlled study of 11 nursing homes indicates that switching from on-call to telemedicine physician coverage during off hours could reduce hospitalizations, and generate cost savings to Medicare in excess of the facility’s investment in the service. However, the savings were evident only at...
A bipartisan group of 16 U.S. Senators has publicly commended state medical boards and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) for their recent efforts to streamline the licensing process for physicians who wish to practice in multiple states, thus helping facilitate the use of...
Telemedicine is just beginning to carve out a niche in intensive care. The evolution of tele-ICU programs is detailed in a report from the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), a health policy group that promotes the expansion of telemedicine. The report notes that, as of late 2012, there...
Deployment of telemedicine services is increasing worldwide, in tandem with improving telecommunication and the shortage of physicians in rural and remote areas, according to market research firm Research and Markets. The growth of telemedicine will continue at a rapid pace—18.5%—through 2018,...
When emergency rooms in rural areas see very sick or badly injured children, bringing in a pediatric critical care specialist by videoconference to help with treatment could prevent errors, a new study suggests. Researchers found rural ER physicians made medication errors—such as giving the...
