As we roll into 2015, not only are individuals contending with the rising costs of healthcare, but large retailers are as well. In an effort to guide consumers towards healthier lifestyles and contain healthcare costs, retail giants Target and Walmart are looking to grow telemedicine mobile technology.

These retailers are looking to provide both their consumers and employees with a deeper level of services, which includes a basic level of chronic disease management. According to Ben Wanaker, the Walmart Care Clinic business leader, while the Care Clinic is consumer-focused retail clinic, it is also the employees’ on-site clinic. All Walmart employees have healthcare needs and have high-deductible healthcare plans. Like everyone else, Walmart is also struggling with the rising costs of healthcare.

Both Target and Walmart are currently exploring the technological tools at their disposal, such as telemedicine, to enhance their efforts toward contending with high healthcare costs. Although Wanamaker did say that they were working on a strategy for digital telehealth, he did not provide further details.

It is expected that retail health clinics will continue to evolve, with the help of telemedicine, in order to provide more affordable healthcare options for employees and consumers everywhere. For some, such as Target, this evolution is coming by way of creating new partnerships with affordable healthcare options.

Target has recently partnered with Kaiser Permanente, as well as a partnership with Mscrips, to provide more affordable telemedicine, prescription and healthcare options. As Target moves into the digital healthcare age, their goals include building a platform where telemedicine can be virtually interconnected with other aspects of healthcare to create more affordable healthcare options for consumers and employees.

Unfortunately, despite the enormous potential of telemedicine and tele-healthcare, there are still some privacy issues to be worked out. It is apparent that the retail sector is seeing and working toward the opportunity that new digital healthcare options are offering, and it is definitely a starting point for curbing the rising costs of healthcare.

With Telemedicine, Emergency Responders Skip Hospital Visit

A new pilot program, launched by the Allegheny Health Network, technology assists patients in a relatively new form of technology called telemedicine. With telemedicine and the use of Apple iPads, patients needing urgent care will connect with doctors without going to the emergency room, with the assistance of emergency medical workers.

Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh understands that not every patient calling 911 is dealing with a life and death emergency. AHN’s pilot program was designed to assist in situations where doctors equipped with iPads could use telemedicine to determine if patients should come to the ER for care.
MobiHealthNews reports that this program allows emergency room doctors to speak with patients before making a costly trip to the hospital. With this advance, telemedicine will help individuals by saving thousands of dollars while increasing the efficiency of hospitals and medical staff due to the reduced number of admissions.

The pilot program will allow patients in acute pain or requiring specialized care to be directed to the appropriate trauma unit in a minimal amount of time, thanks to telemedicine. Less severe cases could be handled quickly, allowing doctors and patients to make better use of their time.

A good example of this would be a diabetic person that calls the ER for assistance due to symptoms caused by low blood sugar. Rather than a trip to the ER in an ambulance, the doctor and emergency responders can determine together the appropriate course of medical action. In the case of diabetes, a glucose solution and fruit juice might be all the patient needs to feel better right away.

Robert J. McCaughan, Vice President of Pre-hospital Care Services at the Allegheny Health Network is excited about the program. He predicts that telemedicine will continue to grow and will someday become a major component in the healthcare industry, and finds the idea of pre-hospital care a great first step toward many future advances.

Richard Gibbons, the Director of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, concurs with McCaughan that telemedicine offers innumerable benefits to the field of healthcare, and is impressed with the program’s potential regarding direct in-home access to a physician.

Gibbons is not alone as more and more facilities and health departments are turning to telemedicine to provide the best and most effective care. Through telemedicine, the field of health care, and even more particularly, emergency treatment, great progress is being observed in patient care standards.

What started as the brain child of TV’s Dr. Phil McGraw and his son Jay in 2012, is now beginning to revolutionize telemedicine and paving the way for even more telemedicine apps. Doctor on Demand utilizes the growing use of the portable technology found in tablets and smartphones to provide millions of users with instant access to a wide array of medical specialists.

Instead of having to wait 30 days or more for a traditional doctor’s appointment in-person, users can have instant access to DOD’s network of 1,400 physicians and 300 mental health professionals. For a flat fee, DOD’s network of health care professionals will provide web consultations and 25-minute sessions with professional psychologists.

Doctors on Demand was quietly launched in 2013 and telemedicine took its first steps to becoming the medicine of the future. While developers have discreetly been working out the kinks in the telemedicine app for the last year, DOD has continued to expand in 2014 with the addition of mental health psychologists.

While getting in to see the doctor can take up to a month in many cases, with DOD, users have access to a health care professional within 2 minutes. Which is making an incredible difference in the way people and professionals everywhere look at practicing medicine and mental health.

DOD simplifies the process of going to see the doctor by having you fill out the required medical history, pay the requested fee and detail your symptoms or problems. Investors such as Google, Shasta Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz see this telemedicine app as being the next step in reducing the massive amount of expensive emergency room visits and handling health problems that many people would put off or neglect all-together, which could lead to serious health complications.

Doctors and patients alike are loving the capabilities of this relatively new telemedicine app to reduce the stress of handling insurance and getting in to see the doctor, let alone its ability for doctors to diagnose patients through a virtual platform.

Like many college graduates, Phyllis Webster finished her degree in Cultural and Biological Anthropology at the University of Arizona, wondering what she should do next with her life. The answer came when, in 1996, she joined the Arizona Telemedicine Program, even though, at that time, she knew nothing about telemedicine or technology. It was the medical field and the prospect of helping people that held her interest.

Within six months of service at ATP, she became a telemedicine case coordinator underneath the direction of ATP Medical Director, Doctor Ana Maria Lopez, and to date, has facilitated more than 8000 multispecialty teleconsultations for eight different charter sites across Arizona. After eighteen years of service across fifty-one subspecialty areas, she has worked with 165 consultants, many of which were employed by the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

During this time in her life, Webster remembers two distinct cases that are definitive of how varied and wide-ranging these applications can be, benefiting more patients on a larger scale. In the first case, there was an urgent call from a referring neonatologist who needed an echocardiology examination for a small child in duress. She was able to quickly secure an evaluation with a pediatric cardiologist who noticed the baby’s complex cardiac abnormalities and set up a transfer. This technology allowed everyone to work together in real time, following the baby’s condition and progress from the first meeting to the admission and treatment at the University of Arizona Medical Center.

In the second case, Webster remembered the story of a rural woman who suffered from a severe skin condition that prevented her from being seen in public or having a normal life. Using high resolution digital imaging technology and video teledermatology consultations and treatments, the patient’s condition dramatically improved within three or four months. Telemedicine technology had changed and enriched this woman’s quality of life!

Webster goes on to say that helping patients has been the best part of telemedicine, although it is easy to wrapped up in the technology because it is such an amazing tool, allowing medical personnel to better communicate and care for their patients. When she first began her career in 1996, very few knew about telemedicine or video conferencing. Eight thousand cases later, she is still amazed at the results seen every day and feels very fortunate to be a part of such an experience.

Telemedicine is having an amazing impact on the pricing of employee healthcare. Recently, several companies have started to add telemedicine to their benefits packages. Telemedicine utilizes technology to help diagnose people and care for them, including video conferencing and phone calls. This cuts costs and thus makes health care a lot cheaper.

One of the companies that has added telemedicine to their benefits package is Qualcomm. Qualcomm first added telemedicine two years ago. More than 60% of Qualcomm’s employees have use telemedicine services instead of visiting the doctor. Qualcomm has claimed that this has lead to lower costs.

Qualcomm is not the only company that has used telemedicine. Rent-a-Center started using telemedicine 24 months ago. They started allowing employees to speak with medical professionals on the phone and over the Internet. The company claims that they have saved more than a million dollars over a two year period by doing this. Penske followed a similar model about a year ago. They claim that they have saved more than $300,000.

Some companies have started using telemedicine to ensure that their employees are properly diagnosed. One example of this is the airplane company Boeing. The company recently started encouraging its employees to get a second opinion through a telemedicine service called Best Doctors. The service has been extremely impactful for the employees. In the year 2011, 30% of the employees that used Best Doctors had their diagnosis changed and more than half saw a change in treatment. So not only has this service saved Boeing money, but it also has had an impact on the health of the employees.

Telemedicine is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional health care. It is considerably cheaper and it is more accessible for patients. There are telemedicine tools that are available 24/7. Because telemedicine is such a great alternative to traditional medicine it is a growing industry. Telemedicine to save the U.S. economy almost $6 billion a year. Time will tell if the telemedicine industry continues to grow as time goes on.

Encouraged by the progress made in 2014 concerning its teleheath program, the Department of Veterans Affairs intends to continue improving on this program by reaching even more clients and significantly enhancing its relationship with health care providers.

In October, 2014, the VA reported that its national telehealth programs had succeeded in helping nearly 700,000 veterans during the fiscal year. According to Veteran’s Administration Secretary Robert McDonald: “We consistently explore how we can more effectively and efficiently deliver health care services to our veterans and improve their lives. Telehealth is one of those areas for which we have identified promising, long-term growth.”

Telehealth programs now serve 12 percent of all veterans enrolled in the Veteran’s Administration’s health care program. Of that 12 percent, veterans made over two million teleheath visits, with almost 60 percent of teleheath veterans residing in rural areas where they had limited access to veteran health care services.

As more veterans age, develop conditions related to aging and actively seek health care, teleheath is quickly becoming the most attractive and practical option available, especially to veterans who experience difficulty getting to a VA medical center. In 2015, VA plans to expand its telehealth offerings by utilizing a $16 billion reform bill established in August, 2014. By authorizing the VA department to begin accelerating deployment of mobile health care clinics via telemedicine, this bill means that many veterans will no longer need to travel long distances to receive necessary medical care. In addition, telemedicine reduces wait times so that veterans can receive medical attention expeditiously when it is needed.

On its website, the VA has published an outline of its forthcoming efforts to increase the scope of its telemedicine programs. Specialized services that will be offered include telecardiology, telementalhealth, telesurgery and telerehabilitation. In an interview with iHealthBeat, VA Deputy Chief Telehealth Consultant Ellen Edmonson stated that ” the VA is diligently striving to improve its commitment to veterans who need better access to telehealth”.

VA telehealth programs have led to a 34 percent drop in readmissions and a 42 percent reduciton in bed days in 2014 (fiscal year). The VA further reports that a recent survey of 10,000 veterans found that 94 percent were completely satisfied with clinical video telehealth. Store-and-forward teledermatology garnered a 92 percent satisfaction rating from veterans and teleretinology received a 94 percent rating.

For more information about the VA’s teleheath program, visit their webpage.

We can deposit a check into the bank or pay a bill right from the smartphone in the palm of our hand. We can speak to someone overseas, and see their face right from that same smartphone. But, did you ever think it would be possible to communicate with your doctor or healthcare provider using Mobile Apps? Yes, there truly are Mobile Apps for everything. Mobile Apps are the future of telemedicine, bringing doctors, or healthcare providers, together with patients on the go.

What is telemedicine? Telemedicine eliminates distance barriers in critical and emergency healthcare situations. Telecommunication and information technologies bring together doctors, or healthcare providers, and patients. Patients have the ability to closely monitor their health and fill in the gaps that may exist, while doctors, or healthcare providers, are able to diagnose and provide healthcare advice in real-time.

The future of telemedicine certainly seems to be growing and bright, as according to the research company GlobalData, the Mobile Apps market is expected to exceed $8 billion by 2018.

Right now, Mobile Apps provide the best way to bring together doctors, or healthcare providers, and patients in real-time. TouchCare, one of the Mobile Apps founded in 2013, aims to change the way healthcare services are delivered and make a difference in people’s lives.

What is Touch Care? TouchCare is one of many Mobile Apps available for download on any iOS 6.1 system or later. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, or iPad Touch, and it is optimized for iPhone 5. TouchCare takes your privacy seriously, as it meets with all HIPAA compliance standards. It is the Mobile App of choice for Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

With TouchCare, you will have the ability to speak with your doctor, or healthcare provider, face-to-face, without having to make an appointment in their office. Get quick answers to cold and flu questions, an after-hours appointment, or a post-acute follow up, all from the convenience of your mobile device.

TouchCare aims to be among the Mobile Apps where the world comes to feel healthier and happier all by the touch of a smartphone button.

There is a new advertising technique being engaged in by drugmakers and internet companies that straddles the line between telemedicine and privacy invasion. This new technique involves using matchback power to send targeted advertisements to people based on their pharmaceutical purchases.

How Matchback Power Works

Both the Hippocratic Oath and federal law requires doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists to maintain the secrecy of both health and prescription records for patients. But, while they can’t share this information, they can code this information into a database for various legitimate purposes. And, since the database is coded, anyone reading through it is unable to identify the names of the patients.

Despite this information being coded, internet data firms have found a trick to effectively circumvent the coding. They use the same coding software and algorithms to code databases full of internet users. Then, matchback is used to link the two databases based on the identical coded names.

How Drug Companies Use This Information to Increase Sales

Once these two databases are calibrated, internet companies are able to target advertising based on the pharmaceutical purchases of the person surfing the internet. These internet companies then offer contracts to drug companies to target appropriate advertisements. Matchback advertising increases the likelihood of a patient approaching a doctor about a specific drug by between 12% and 25%, which makes this a lucrative technique. In fact, the technique is so successful that drug companies either pony up the advertising costs or fall behind in the market as competitors take advantage of targeted sales while they don’t.

The Questionable Ethics of Matchback Power

Technically, the drug companies don’t know the identities of the people seeing their ads. If a person buys Viagra, they will see male enhancement ads, but the drug companies have no clue who is seeing the ads that they publish. So, by a strict definition, secrecy is maintained. But, this procedure skirts the line and privacy advocates are concerned by it. There are methods to effectively reverse the coding and discover names and the advertising preys on people who are vulnerable. It is a technique that will likely see much government scrutiny in coming years.

Once again, Walgreens pushes the perceived limits of healthcare by being the first to offer visits with telemedicine physicians via MDLive. Fifteen years since Walgreens launched its game changing in-store urgent care clinic, the brand is taking healthcare provision a step further by providing app-based consultations with board-certified telemedicine physicians in partnership with MDLive.

Online Prescription Medications: Just the Beginning

Curently offering live chat with pharmacy staff, the Walgreens app will undergo a significant transformation as virtual doctor visits are incorporated into its features. Though still in testing, Walgreens’ mobile app, once outfitted with its new feature, will provide patients with a convenient, cost-effective method of seeing a physician, obtaining a prescription, and filling it at their local Walgreens pharmacy using Android or iOS devices. Walgreens recently announced the feature’s soft launch in California and Michigan, with more states pending.

MDLive Makes Telemedicine Physicians Accessible

Walgreens’ decision to partner with MDLive to offer this unique service shows the company’s commitment to molding the future of healthcare. MDLive, an innovative virtual business specializing in access to telemedicine physicians, is a trusted medical provider that adheres to all HIPAA laws. From a simple mobile app, clients are able to reach telemedicine physicians for online prescription medications at any time, from anywhere.

Virtual Healthcare for Adults and Children

Many acute illnesses can be diagnosed and treated via a virtual platform, and Walgreens’ mobile app is designed to provide access to care for both children and adults. MDLive works with board-certified telemedicine physicians and pediatricians who are knowledgeable about a variety of ailments, from allergies and diarrhea to headaches and respiratory illnesses. Once widely available and adopted, the mobile app will contribute to a reduction of disease transmission, particularly for highly contagious cases of flu or pink eye. Between online prescription medications and handheld access to a physician, patients of every age benefit from quality healthcare at an affordable rate.

Are you excited about the new Walgreens mobile app feature?