Texas prisons turn to telemedicine to lower costs
January 23, 2015
Telemedicine uses technology to connect prisoners, who are often housed in remote areas, with medical experts throughout the state. It’s one way that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is trying to control spending on prison healthcare. But while telemedicine has shown some success in curbing spending, it hasn’t been enough to stem rising costs due to an aging prison population. From 2007 to 2011, Texas prisons saw a 24% increase in healthcare spending per inmate, according to a recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Source: Dallas Morning News