Benefits of Telemedicine are only possible with high speed Internet

University of Missouri research suggests telemedicine has major potential to cut health care costs and improve quality of life for the chronically ill.

With telemedicine, patients could have a conversation with a nurse in regularly scheduled appointments at an online clinic instead of traveling to an office. The university's research found that this could save nearly $1.5 billion from U.S. health care costs, adding to the savings determined by other studies. 

Online interaction would also encourage more regular check ups and quicker diagnosis of problems: 

"People who suffer from chronic illnesses usually wait three to six months between office appointments," a nursing school professor said. Nurses who check in regularly with patients "provide a sense of security." 

Telemedicine is already helping patients in some areas of the country. In Georgia stroke victims who come into smaller local medical centers are connected via high speed Internet with doctors in Atlanta who can more accurately diagnose the source of the stroke, saving vital time and increasing survival rates. 

However high speed Internet and, therefore, this life saving technology, is not available in many rural areas across the country. Many patients live in places that do not have adequate high speed Internet access to participate in any type of video conferencing. The spread of high speed Internet access into all corners of our country is vitally important to the overall health of our country. 

Along with huge savings for businesses and employees, telemedicine could provide chronic illness patients with the benefits of a more normal life and significant cuts in their hospital stays. This is a benefit that cannot be measured financially, and it's only possible with high speed Internet.

Telehealth for chronic disease patients cuts costs (Dayton Daily News)

Save money, save lives with telemedicine (Speed Matters)

Telemedicine: At Work Today, in Georgia (Speed Matters)