{"id":16852,"date":"2016-07-25T14:21:14","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T21:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=16852"},"modified":"2016-07-25T14:21:14","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T21:21:14","slug":"telemedicine-the-future-or-a-fad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/telemedicine-the-future-or-a-fad\/","title":{"rendered":"Telemedicine: The Future or a Fad?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Telemedicine\"
Telemedicine makes a wealth of patient and general medical information available to doctors 24-hours a day via electronic technology.<\/figcaption><\/figure> Post-discharge observation, at-home consultation, pre-screenings… Telemedicine technology<\/a> is poised to revolutionize individual health care, and the entire healthcare industry. Though usage rates throughout the US are relatively low, the interest in improving and expanding patient access to medical care has lead to a surge in interesting in the many visual, aural and diagnostic technologies which come together and function as telemedicine. Put that together with the expansion of healthcare coverage courtesy of the Affordable Care Act, an ever-expanding, and aging, population and a struggling economy, and the advantages of cutting costs and expanding access that telemedicine technology presents becomes even more attractive.<\/p>\n

But is the blossoming interest in telemedicine a sign of a brighter future for the healthcare industry, or merely a temporary fad that will soon lose its appeal?<\/p>\n

What is Telemedicine? <\/b><\/p>\n

According to the American Telemedicine Association, the term “telemedicine” is used to define the exchange of medical information via electronic communications. This medical data may be very specific to a patient, or it may be general in nature, and it is used to care for patients, improving their health and well-being. Two-way video consultation; patient portals; call centers; remote vital sign monitoring; cardiac telemetry; and online continuing education modules for healthcare professionals are just some examples of telemedicine technology.<\/p>\n

\"Telemedicine\"
NASA was a pioneer in the development and innovative use of telemedicine technology.<\/figcaption><\/figure> A Brief History of Telemedicine <\/b><\/p>\n

Born at the dawn of the Space Age, telemedicine technology grew up in the world of astronauts and space exploration. NASA was at the forefront, both in developing the many technologies that come together in telemedicine and in pioneering the many uses for it. Early telemetry was built into the astronauts suits, allowing scientists and doctors here on Earth to monitor their vital signs and document the effects that high-altitude and low-gravity travel have on the body.<\/p>\n

In the 1960s, telemedicine was beginning to make its way into hospitals and other medical facilities across the country and around the world. The two-way communication system was one of the first bits of telemedicine to be eagerly accepted into facilities, allowing hospitals that were separated by hundreds of miles to communicate in real time. Remote location also began to benefit from telemedicine and by the 1970s people living in the most unreachable areas were able to directly contact paramedics, nurses, and doctors, accessing the information and education they needed.<\/p>\n

<\/i>By the 1980s, telemedicine was reaching out to countries around the world, and healthcare was becoming more accessible to people in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The technology was also proving to be invaluable during emergency situations, notably the 1989 earthquake in Armenia. By using satellite communications, doctors in Yerevan, Armenia were able to directly contact medical centers in the US and access the consultation of specialists in a variety of medical disciplines, giving the victims of the disaster the best quality care.<\/p>\n

Today, telemedicine is still making a difference in countries around the world, opening the opportunity for high-quality medical treatment to those living in remote and war-ravaged locations. It also remains a vital component of medical facilities around the world.<\/p>\n

The Current Telemedicine Trend <\/b><\/p>\n

In the US, the telemedicine trend<\/a> is beginning to take center stage outside the medical facilities where it has been used for so long. An aging population, and an increase in patients with chronic conditions, and rapidly rising health care costs have led many doctors to introduce telemedicine technology into their private practices.<\/p>\n

As the “Baby Boomer” generation enters their golden years, their health problems will begin to steadily increase, and with the number of doctors and nurses waning, accessing healthcare could become tough. Patients may need to travel a long distance to see their own doctor, and even farther to access specialist care. Even if the doctor is close, the number of patients he sees may require a wait of weeks, even months, before an appointment is available.<\/p>\n

Telemedicine has proved to be invaluable in the treatment of patients following discharge from the hospital, reduce the number of avoidable readmissions to the hospital by a significant margin. Patients can be seen and treated in the comfort of their home, and they also can play a greater role in managing their own care. Specialty services such as telepsychiatry, telestroke, and wound care will soon be making their way into even the most rural areas.<\/p>\n

Telemedicine is also being embraced by hospitals and private doctors alike as a valuable means to cut costs while still providing access to excellent patient care. Hospitals and other medical practices are finding that the increased use of telemedicine is actually lowering the cost of the technology, making it more likely that even more physicians and medical facilities will begin embracing telemedicine in the future.<\/p>\n

Preliminary health screenings and remote consultations are done via two-way technology are expected to not only reduce emergency room visits but also to improve the effectiveness of the care that is given when you do arrive at the ER. Emergency room overcrowding is well-known, and patients visiting plan to wait for a long time to see a doctor, exposing themselves to a wide variety of organisms as they wait for their turn. By using telemedicine technology, in the form of two-way technology and call centers, patients are effectively triaged and can even be treated by the doctor, eliminating the need to visit the ER.<\/p>\n

\"Telemedicine\"
Telemedicine allows doctor’s to pre-screen patients for conditions, and consult on post-discharge conditions and tests.<\/figcaption><\/figure> Is There a Downside to Using Telemedicine? <\/b><\/p>\n

One of the major hindrances to telemedicine expanding rapidly is the slow rate of reimbursement from Medicare and insurance companies. The effects of the Affordable Care Act on the insurance and healthcare industry have led to a re-examination of the definitions of healthcare and until adjustments are made to the payment guidelines, the costs of telemedicine could be prohibitive for some healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n

Another issue that may slow the growth of telemedicine is the general lack of training that medical professionals have in using telemedicine effectively. The equipment used in providing telemedicine services, including remote telemetry, two-way video technology and satellite communications, may be beyond the experience of many physicians and healthcare professionals. While hospitals and medical practices work to access that training, the other means of accessing and treating patients may be utilized and the advantages of telemedicine may prove unnecessary.<\/p>\n

Conclusion <\/b><\/p>\n

From its origins in the 1950s to today, telemedicine has been challenging the healthcare industry as it provides patients with more access to care. From providing specialist care in a major disaster to allowing for at-home consultation with your urologist about erectile dysfunction, telemedicine is poised to revolutionize the healthcare industry and the way we care for ourselves and each other.<\/p>\n

eDrugstore is a leading online facilitator for medications since 1998. You can read more about telemedicine technology and innovations by visiting the eDrugstore blog here<\/a>.\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Post-discharge observation, at-home consultation, pre-screenings… Telemedicine technology is poised to revolutionize individual health care, and the entire healthcare industry. Though usage rates throughout the US are relatively low, the interest in improving and expanding patient access to medical care has lead to a surge in interesting in the many visual, aural and diagnostic technologies which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[189],"class_list":["post-16852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-health-news","tag-telemedicine"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t