{"id":2483,"date":"2015-07-27T20:45:42","date_gmt":"2015-07-27T20:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viamedic.com\/blog\/?p=2483"},"modified":"2015-07-27T20:45:42","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T20:45:42","slug":"house-calls-returning-with-telemedicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/house-calls-returning-with-telemedicine\/","title":{"rendered":"House Calls Returning with Telemedicine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Telemedicine
Telemedicine is reviving house calls — both virtual and actual — by medical professionals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For most Americans today, house calls by doctors are associated with the distant past and represent an era that few people under the age of 50 or 60 can recall. For those of us old enough to remember the days when doctors actually paid an in-person visit to a patient\u2019s home, it was a service that most of us figured had disappeared for good.<\/p>\n

However, the spectacular growth in telemedicine appears to be bringing back house calls, at least figuratively, in the form of video consultations between physicians and their patients who need not leave the comfort of their home.<\/p>\n

Real House Calls <\/b><\/p>\n

Actually, a couple of fledgling telemedicine operations — available only in a handful of cities at this time — are reviving in-person house visits for those who can afford to pay for the service. Although these services, provided through apps called Heal<\/a> and Pager<\/a>, are limited in scope geographically at the moment, their developers are already mapping plans to expand into other cities within the foreseeable future. More about Heal and Pager a bit later.<\/p>\n

However, for the vast majority of Americans, consulting with a doctor about routine health concerns via videoconferencing is already a reality that can be accessed through a number of local and nationwide computer-based services. While urgent health issues are best directed to the nearest hospital emergency room, those of us worried about a persistent head cold, skin rash, nausea, or urinary tract infection can consult with a health professional via a computer, tablet, or smart phone.<\/p>\n

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

In its simplest possible terms, telemedicine encompasses all interactions between doctor and patient that are conducted via electronic means, such as telephone, email, or video consultation. It also refers to the increasing digitization of all medical records, which means that an emergency physician treating you for a ski accident at Aspen can electronically access your medical history within minutes.<\/p>\n

The basics of telemedicine have been around for quite a while, particularly in its more primitive forms. However, in the last few years the concept has taken off in a big way as a means to help meet the widening gap between the demand for health care services and the supply of health professional to provide such services.<\/p>\n

Impact of Obamacare <\/b><\/p>\n

Passage of the Affordable Care Act, known to most as Obamacare, put health care services within the financial reach of millions who previously could not afford them and only sought out medical care when health problems became true emergencies. In doing so, it sharply increased the demand for health care services even as the number of health professionals was growing at a much slower rate.<\/p>\n

\"Telemedicine
Telemedicine puts video consultations with board-certified physicians within the financial reach of most Americans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Telemedicine can help bridge the growing gap between supply and demand by offering more cost-effective solutions to routine health care concerns and cutting down sharply on unnecessary trips to the doctor\u2019s office or emergency room. At the same time, by offering an alternative to these expensive visits to the doctor or hospital, telemedicine can whittle down some of the overall costs for health care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctor on Demand <\/b><\/p>\n

Typical of the telemedicine providers offering video consultation with board-certified physicians and other health professionals is San Francisco-based Doctor on Demand<\/a>. Health consumers who want to consult with a doctor can avail themselves of Doctor on Demand\u2019s services by requesting a video consultation through the service\u2019s website or via apps that can be downloaded to your tablet or smart phone. These apps are available for smart phones and tablets running iOS or Android operating systems.<\/p>\n

In addition to video consultations with licensed physicians, Doctor on Demand can arrange for video visits with board-certified pediatricians, psychologists, and lactation specialists. Doctor on Demand provides the telemedicine platform that health consumers can use to access \u201clicensed physicians practicing within a group of independently owned professional practices collectively known as \u2018Doctor on Demand Professionals.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Cost for Video Visit <\/b><\/p>\n

A video visit with one of the family physicians or pediatricians available through Doctor on Demand will set you back $40. Ailments routinely treated via video visits include cold and flu, sore throat, diarrhea and vomiting, eye conditions, urinary tract infections, minor sports injuries, and skin issues, including rashes.<\/p>\n

To consult with one of the psychologists available through Doctor on Demand, you will pay $50 for a 25-minute session or $95 for a 50-minute session. New mothers having breastfeeding problems can set up a 25-minute session with a lactation specialist for $40 or $70 for a 50-minute session.<\/p>\n

Psychologists available through Doctor on Demand treat a variety of issues, including stress and anxiety, depression, mood changes, relationship issues, obsessions and compulsions, trauma and loss, alcohol and tobacco addictions, and eating problems.<\/p>\n

\"Using
Using the technology of telemedicine, the elderly woman takes a blood pressure reading that is simultaneously transmitted to her doctor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teladoc Services <\/b><\/p>\n

Another telemedicine provider that offers services in most of the United States is Teladoc<\/a>, which was founded in 2002. It offers access to American physicians who are board-certified in family medicine, internal medicine, and\/or pediatrics. Doctors available through Teladoc can provide a video or telephone consultation within minutes after you\u2019ve filed a request for one.<\/p>\n

Teladoc\u2019s founders targeted what they saw as three of the health care industry\u2019s most pressing issues:<\/p>\n