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Daily FYI May 15, 2009 Study finds virtual doctors visits satisfactory for both patients and clinicians Source: Physorg.com Travelers book plane tickets online, bank customers can check their accounts at any computer, and busy families can grocery shop online. Someday, even doctor visits could be among the conveniences offered via the Internet. Researchers considering the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual doctors visits report that patients and physicians found that evaluations done through videoconferencing were similar to face-to-face visits on most measures, according a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
Bill Boosts Medicare-Paid Telemedicine Source: Health Data Management Legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives would significantly increase Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine services. These services would include "telehealth" services that enable the remote monitoring of home-based chronically ill patients. Medicare presently has a limited telemedicine reimbursement policy targeting rural regions. The legislation, H.R. 2068, would expand Medicare reimbursement to urban and suburban areas, and expand the types of facilities eligible for payment.
Telemedicine "Buddy" Offers Radical Approach to Managing Health of the Mentally Ill Source: NHPR As anyone with diabetes or heart disease knows, chronic health conditions are hard to manage.
Illinois considers using telemedicine to assist sick prisoners Source: Smart Briefs Officials in Illinois are considering whether telemedicine could be used to allow ailing prisoners to consult physicians, said Derek Schnapp of the state Department of Corrections. The technology, which is used in prisons in at least 26 other states, could enable Illinois to save on related costs and reduce off-site trips. An expert, however, warned that the practice could prove harmful to inmates in the long term because it makes them "disappear more and more from the public consciousness."
Louisiana Healthcare Providers and Patients Report High Satisfaction with Healthland EMR Solution and LARHIX Telemedicine Capabilities Source: Business Wire Healthland, America's market leader of healthcare information solutions for small community and critical access hospitals, announces its support and recent success of the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange (LARHIX) telemedicine initiative. A 2009 survey released by the LSU Health Science Center (LSUHSC) in Shreveport reveals that patients and healthcare providers from rural Louisiana hospitals are not only experiencing high satisfaction from telemedicine capabilities but are also saving time and money with the program. This is particularly important to the state of Louisiana where, according to LARHIX state-wide statistics: 32 percent of the population is in federally designated medically underserved rural communities; the population’s health ranking is among the lowest in the country; and 23.7 percent of rural Louisianans live below the federal poverty line.
The Doctor Is In, Around the Clock Source: PRNewswire InPlace Medical Solutions, the first full-service offshore medical product using video telemedicine, has achieved another first in the offshore medical industry - securing physician staffing for 24/7/365 services by video telemedicine for its clients. All services are provided by emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians who are board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Medicare Telemedicine Bill Could Change Landscape Source: iHealthBeat A generally accepted maxim in health care: Where Medicare goes, the rest of the country follows. If a bipartisan effort in Congress is successful, Medicare and the rest of the country are headed for wider, deeper use of telemedicine Only about 20% of the country's Medicare beneficiaries have access to telemedicine because of restrictions limiting funding to rural areas, according to legislators. |
