Author Archives: securemedical

ATA Hopes Telemedicine will Lower Consumer Healthcare Costs

James Pike, the incoming president of American Telemedicine Association, gave a plenary speech at the ATA’s annual conference in Minneapolis that was held on 17th May Tuesday morning. James Pike noted that the American Telemedicine Association has strong hopes of telemedicine lowering consumer healthcare costs, although there are still many challenges to be conquered.

In his speech, the incoming ATA president stated that remote care still remains to be an industry and movement in flux. He was quick to note that the industry has grown massively and its maturation is by no accident. However, despite all the positive strides the industry has made to this extent, there is still more important work that has to be done in order to ensure telemedicine’s progress.

Today, more and more payer organizations have stopped considering telemedicine as an add-on, and have since adopted it into their businesses as a critical part of their operations, said Pike. He also noted that the official recognition and increased payments coming from insurers have given credibility and proven that telemedicine continues to be widely embraced. He continued to add that this evolution must not stop; it has to continue for the industry to realize its full potential.

James Pike served under President George W. Bush as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from the month of December 2007 to January 2009. He is also a senior vice president at Fairfax, the government Virgin-based contractor CGI Federal.

In his speech, Pike continued to say that all the parties involved with telemedicine need to continually evaluate their current state and decide what is important to focus on. They need to look for ways that will drive more people towards adopting this technology for the improvement of their lives. Plus, moving from the traditional hospital-centric system to a patient-centered system is the future.

He ended by noting that easy access, convenience and punctuality are all the aspects that drive telemedicine to lower health costs and hence provide higher value.

Telemedicine, while providing easy access to health care for patients who live a distance away from traditional medical facilities, needs to step up its game, at least in the area of dermatology, according to a recent study by the “JAMA Dermotology.” The study used actors to interact with telemedical teams as dermatology patients. The study’s findings that often patients are misdiagnosed or conditions are missed have caused quite a stir in the medical community.

What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine uses electronic communication technology as well as data transfer software to allow doctors to consult with patients remotely, rather than in person. The doctor and patient converse via computer communication links like SKYPE and Facetime, while the patient’s medical tests and vital signs are transmitted via a secure data link, often directly from the testing equipment. The chief advantage of telemedicine is that it allows patients in rural and remote areas to seek medical treatment and get followup care that they may not be able to get due to their distance from the nearest medical facility.

Controversy surrounding the JAMA study
The JAMA study concluded that conditions, such as syphilis, herpes and skin cancer, were often missed and treatments were often at odds with recommended practices. The results of this study have been widely reported in mainstream publications, including the “Wall Street Journal.”

Medical professionals, including members of the American Telemedicine Association, have been vocal in their criticism of this study, arguing that using actors was an unfair practice and not representative of actual patient-doctor interaction. They also hastened to point out that the study was small (just 62 patients) and that sub-par medical care can happen with in-person interaction as well.

The bottom line
What does all of this mean? While more study is needed to properly access the usefulness of telemedicine, the JAMA study does bring into question whether more stringent regulations are needed in the growing field of telemedicine. While this type of medicine is useful, doctors who use this tool need to be held to the same standards as traditional, in-person doctors.

Telemedicine is something that is new and breaking out in a big way. It has recently been said that telemedicine is something that is taking effect in many areas of the U.S.; with so many people that need medical services and for a reason they can’t get to a doctor or if it’s not convenient for the to get to medical help, telemedicine can come in handy. It’s not just utilized in hospitals… in recent news it’s been brought out that Walgreens will take on the use of telemedicine as well. Walgreens will be offering access to psychiatrists as well as therapists via MDLive Telemedicine… this service will be called Breakthrough.

With there being one in five Americans that suffer from mental health conditions, it is a goal for Walgreens to be able to screen three million people through Breakthrough by the end of 2017; this is a goal that is not only wanted by Walgreens but by Mental Health America as well. The purpose of this service through Walgreens is to expand the options that customers have so they can be able to receive treatment, have screenings and awareness that is easily accessible for them via telemedicine. Receiving treatment this way will not only expand mental health services it will also give access to behavioral health treatment that some may not otherwise be able to have.

Mental health conditions are growing in America; more Americans suffer from mental health conditions than other medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. It has also been seen that patients don’t stay on the prescriptions they have for mental health conditions, so the usage of telemedicine is going to have a large impact and will be able to help make it easier for the adherence of the prescriptions that are given, according to the chief medical officer for Walgreens, Dr. Harry Leider.

Walgreens will offer the access of 1,ooo psychiatrists and therapists via telemedicine in hopes that it will improve mental health treatment. With this being in place, patients and customers will be able to receive around the clock access to physicians should they have questions or concerns about their prescription or about their mental health condition.

The amount of money Americans are spending for prescription drugs is on the rise. If you ask Hilary Clinton, she will tell you it is the drug companies fault and say that Washington doesn’t have enough control. However, that isn’t anywhere near the case. The main problem more than likely stems from Obamacare.

Obamacare gained a number of followers based on the promise that the total cost would come down as long as Americans gave control over their healthcare to Washington. While that was the promise, that wasn’t exactly what happened. Costs have continued to soar when it comes to healthcare. Prescription drugs is just one of those costs that have risen steadily. Since that new law passed back in 2010, the amount of money spend on medicine has increased by 21 percent.

Because the reasoning behind why the costs going up are complex and confusing, there isn’t a single factor that can explain everything. Obamacare has contributed to the changes in more ways than one. To begin with, Obamacare imposed a tax on prescription drug importers and manufacturers to the tune of $27 billion. As with all tax increases, the consumers are the ones left having to foot the bill.

This shouldn’t really come as a shock when you think about it. The CBO said that Obamacare was going to increase spending in more ways than one long before the law took place. Beyond the new tax, the law also mandated rebates and discounts for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Manufacturers offset costs by increasing the cost of the prescription.

Even though prices are continuously increasing, the amount of insurance people have available to them continues to shrink. Almost every one of the silver plans under Obamacare have restrictions on what type of prescriptions are covered and what ones aren’t. If the drug isn’t on the approved list, the patient is the one who is left having to foot the bill on their own. There are a number of drugs not on the list, including those for cancer, hepatitis C and rheumatoid arthritis.

It’s no wonder why so many Americans are stressing out over what they are supposed to do when it comes to paying for their medical needs. Isn’s it about time that the individual paying for the benefits gets what they need?

There has been a recent rise in curiosity of Telemedicine. This is the ability to deliver health care services including clinical information remotely… it includes the capability to do so using telephone media, internet, wireless services or satellite. Many are excited about telemedicine because it gives patients the opportunity to receive medical care without having to travel to meet with a medical professional in person. It is also a cost effective as well as time efficient for the patients.

Telemedicine also gives healthcare providers the ability to bring costs down by allowing care to be centralized, lower the need for capital and for the amount of buildings that are used for medical facilities. This will lower the amount of staff that is needed to have a successful medical business and building.

Telemedicine also gives doctors the chance to consult with other doctors that may be specialist or have more knowledge that are in a different location from where the other is, especially from state to state. This is a very positive attribute because it can bring major and vast improvements to the health status of the patient.

Telemedicine is also good for patients that have been discharged from the hospital, especially in the first few weeks of being discharged. Telemedicine isn’t just good to get a diagnosis or help from a physician, but it can also be setup to read the vital signs of a patient. So while you are at home, you don’t have to worry about anything happening from the effects of whatever issue had you in the hospital. There will be someone available that is able to remotely read your vitals and should an emergency arise they will be able to see the same information as if you were in the hospital. This is great for older patients to have… it will bring down the cost of a hospital stay; they can still have the help that is needed without the worry of high costs of hospitalization.

With the help of telemedicine, more families are able to receive the care and help they need. It saves time, money and you never know when it will save a life.

Telemedicine is the exchange of useful medical information from one location to another through electronic communications with a sole aim of improving a patient’s health status. Miami children’s hospital in collaboration with Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida has provided a genetic telemedicine program that allows children to receive health care services from highly specialized doctors such as genetic specialists who are only based in larger cities.

Golisano doctors, thanks to video teleconferencing, can now consult with specialists from the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital on cases relating to genetic and metabolic diseases. Golisano medical director, Dr. William Liu shares with us the case of a premature newborn – Felix Escalante- who was delivered 10 weeks early. Dr. Parul Jayaker, a genetic specialist, was able to examine the premature boy using telemedicine technology. Venezia Escalante -Felix’ mother, admitted that the experience was better than traveling all the way to Miami, since it was cost effective and less hectic with a quicker response than those in two waiting rooms.

Two years ago Jonathan Witenko, out of necessity, helped develop the telemedicine device in order to save his 5-year-old daughter who had a head injury. According to the Hospital’s spokeswoman Mary Briggs, Telemedicine has been in use in the hospital since 2014 to help with consulting neurologists in neurological cases suspected to be a stroke. She discloses that the Telemedicine system has 10 devices and costs about $120,000.

Recently discharged patients are also beneficiaries of Telemedicine, with the Equipment being installed in their homes to read their vital signs and pass the same data to the hospital. Senior citizens have also enjoyed a decrease in hospitalization rates and costs due to telemedicine. In fact, the number of trips by senior citizens to hospitals has drastically reduced.

With Telemedicine services rapidly gaining popularity at U.S. hospitals, more families are now able to enjoy specialized health care closer to their homes. This has enabled them to save time and money that would have otherwise been spent on tiresome trips to city hospitals. Smaller communities living in remote areas have also not been left out since the technology has enabled them to have access to specialists.

Telemedicine in Senior Healthcare Leads to Dramatic Decrease in Hospitalization Rates and Costs

Telemedicine gets credit for the reduced number of retirees making trips to access medical treatment. The aging populace can now receive quality healthcare using this top of the range technology from the comfort of their homes. Apart from this, telemedicine brings convenience not only to the patient but also the caregivers, and it simultaneously lowers costs in regards to hospitalization and transport. With that in mind, here are some of the advantages of telemedicine:

No delays and Quick Response: Take into account retirees suffering from one ailment or another and the time encumbered caregivers—waiting rooms can be a place of frustration and anxiety for both patient and caregiver. Telemedicine cancels out waiting room pandemonium to replace this with ease of communication through emails, text messaging and other digital communication.

Recuperating at home: In some cases, patients are discharged but need professional monitoring. Take for an example, diabetic patients, those with chronic obstructive heart conditions (COPD), pneumonia, heart failure among others need caregivers to pay them visits.

Telemedicine brings remote patient monitoring (RPM) facilitates thus, constant contact between patients and nurses so that any arising concerns are addressed with immediacy.

Moreover, this particular telehealth program gives real-time data, giving responsibility for the situation to the patient and the professional caregivers.

Using telemedicine has reduced the number of readmissions drastically. Here is the proof: the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville created and implemented this telehealth program. Results? After the lapse of one year, the center experienced a reduction in its monthly readmission. Furthermore, this total was a 10% decrease as compared to the nation’s average of 17.5%.

Also, further studies on RPM; therefore, telemedicine, reveal this method could successfully stop or reduce readmission of pulmonary-related hospital readmission from 460,000-627,000, annually.

Reduced Costs

In reality, the majority of doctors charge more for a physical visit as opposed to a telehealth consultation. Therefore, access to telemedicine also translates into reduction in transportation expenses and convenient access to healthcare, more so for those residing in rural areas.

A medical study to be conducted in Hutchison will help determine whether adults living with Type 2 Diabetes who receive education and phone coaching is directly associated more improvements in health than those who go without the extra support. The results would give a clearer picture of what telemedicine can help effectively manage diabetes.

It has been proven that healthful lifestyles and medication management play a critical role in the overall health of adults living with diabetes. Patients regularly see positive results when they eat healthfully, stay physically active, and eliminate things like tobacco and stress. But what role can telemedicine play when it comes to keeping a patient on the positive track to managing their medications and living their fullest life?

The study being conducted by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (in a partnership with Hutchinson Health, with funding from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) hopes to answer:

• Can a team-based approach to care—one that uses registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to do medication management—help diabetes patients achieve healthful lifestyles?
• Can the approach ultimately improve their D5 measures: blood glucose, statin use, blood pressure, tobacco use and aspirin use.

To carry out the study, a group of 144 Hutchison Health patients with Type 2 Diabetes, age 40-75, will be randomly divided into two groups: a “control” group and an “intervention” group. All of the patients will receive the typical amount of care from their primary care physicians. But only the intervention group will received additional D5 measures-related care from RDNs. The RDNs will provide healthy living coaching sessions and manage prescription medications in coordination with primary care. Baseline tests will be conducted at the beginning of the study, and then again after a year to compare any changes in D5 measures.

Hutchison was determined to be an ideal location to conduct the study because the Minnesota Community Measurement statistics found that only 30 percent of people with Type 2 Diabetes in Hutchison have optimal D5 levels. The statewide average is 53 percent. Hutchinson Health of recently has been offering mental health services through telemedicine and hopes to add services for diabetes type 2 sufferers once a conclusion to the study has been reached.

Telemedicine Making Waves in Primary Urban Health Care Centers

Probable stance

Picture a single mom holding down a full-time job, pegged at an hourly rate, and also encumbered with the care of her two children—none older than five years. Say one of them falls ill, unexpectedly, from an asthmatic attack, flu or an eye infection. Her options seem limited to making a dash for the ER, after hours where she has access to medicine for her child or forfeiting her wages to consult a doctor. But here is the thing; telemedicine is an option. Unfortunately, it is uncharacteristic to get cover for this from significant bodies like Medicaid and Medicare or private payers. Subsequently, this translates to her spending approximately $40-55, if she wants to save time.

Alternative available

Telemedicine has been administered, in times gone by, through urban specialists in the advent to extend services into the rural areas. Keep in mind the inadequate supply of primary care doctors, nationwide, especially in the case of those who specialize and subspecialized. Consider getting a booking to see a doctor is not easy, it can take the duration of six months. And, this is not limited to the rural areas but typical of the urban areas as well. Then again other inconveniences imposed on urban patients are no access to transport, language barriers, and medicinal illiteracy. For these reasons, telemedicine seems a feasible option.

3 Factors hindering Telemedicine

Meanwhile, administration of telemedicine is hindered by:

Licensing: Telemedicine administered by medical practitioners is not readily available if they cannot practice freely state to state. Nonetheless, the Federation of State Medical Boards is actively involved in trying to make this a reality.

Equity: Private payers do not support the purchase of telemedicine in some states and their participation in rural areas is even less. On the other hand, parity laws work to facilitate the availability of telemedicine, more so in the urban areas.

Network: Poor communication network such as access to the internet is common to both the rural and urban areas. Improved cellular and broad facilities can reduce the frustration of patients in their access to telemedicine.

Stated a little differently, telemedicine is a revolutionary tool. Although looking at it from a theoretical point, it looks intricate, challenging and perhaps impractical. These are just a few things that can make telemedicine more effectual, flexible licensing, equity through parity laws, and improved network communication. Results include a healthier population, efficient distribution of medicine and better healthcare.

People who live in certain areas throughout the world have always struggled with getting the medical care and medical attention that they need. Even people who live in cities usually try to make sure that they live relatively close to the hospitals in their cities. Just getting to appointments on a regular basis can be frustrating for people who live in an inconvenient location for an extended period of time.

People who live in places like Alaska’s Denali Wilderness will have to drive miles over country roads in order to get to their doctors. They’re going to have to deal with all of the fluctuations of Alaskan weather in the process, and they’re going to need to make trips like this even during some of the worst moments of their lives. They’re also going to be painfully limited in terms of their options. In some cases, the patients in question might not even bond with their doctors, which is going to leave them at a greater disadvantage. Telemedicine is in the process of changing all of that forever.

It has been demonstrated through research today that tele-behavioral medicine is as effective as approaches to medicine that involve face-to-face communication. Naturally, tele-behavioral medicine is significantly more convenient that traditional methods ever could be, since people don’t even have to leave their homes in order to get the medical attention that they need. Today, telemedicine is becoming increasingly accepted, since even the people who were initially skeptical of the practice are starting to change their minds at last.

This new situation is also significantly more favorable for the doctors themselves, even though they have always had the advantage. Doctors couldn’t just decide to live in rural Alaska if that was what they wanted, since they had to live in a location that was convenient enough for their patients. Today, doctors are now going to get the opportunity to live wherever they want without having to worry about whether or not choosing a particular residence is a sound business decision. Telemedicine is in the process of setting both doctors and patients free forever.