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...
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...
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...
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,...
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) praised CMS changes that would expand coverage of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries starting next month. “The proposed new rules, while incremental, represent another step toward integrating the use of telecommunications technology into...
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...
