Telehealth takes off as evidence grows that it can improve care, save money

The massive spending on health IT as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and general growth in EMR adoption is expected to provide a big boost to telehealth as well, InformationWeek reports. Both EMRs and PACS will help enhance videoconferencing between patients and medical specialists by providing the remote consultant with more complete patient data, including imaging.

Telehealth is helping to expand the reach of dermatologists, neurologists, radiologists, critical care physicians and mental health professionals, among other specialties, and to reduce the need to transport the sickest of patients. For those already in transit, video links and digital stethoscopes onboard ambulances speed treatment for critically ill patients. "A picture is worth a thousand words. There's no substitute for seeing a patient with your own eyes," Dr. Hamilton Schwartz, who devised the ambulance telemedicine program for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, tells InformationWeek.

Massachusetts General Hospital also has an advanced telemedicine program for children, specifically in its pediatric intensive-care unit. Six attending physicians have telemedicine stations in their homes that connect to bedside units--nicknamed "PICU Bots"--with remote-controlled digital cameras and medical scopes, as well as videoconferencing technology. A study underway will help Mass General determine if such systems are appropriate for adult ICUs.

And at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, remote stroke specialists help ER physicians at 15 hospitals in Pennsylvania that wouldn't otherwise have 24-hour coverage by neurologists.

Though the technology has been shown to reduce mortality and save money, many insurers are reluctant to cover telehealth services. Intel and GE Healthcare are working with the Mayo Clinic on a study to demonstrate how home monitoring of chronically ill older adults can prevent hospitalizations.

For further details:
- take a look at this InformationWeek feature

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