Telemedicine key to health care reform
The role of broadband in the United States policy is not just limited to issues of speed, availability and adoption. Medical experts recently released a white paper that touts telemedicine as a core component of health care reform in the United States.
Telemedicine will control cost inflation and provide additional benefits that "greatly exceed the costs," according to the white paper.
Dr. Ronald Merrell of Virginia Commonwealth University, and co-editor of the whitepaper said, "telemedicine is the common element to make reform succeed." He added, "Telemedicine involves stunning new technologies that go well beyond just using electronic health records, which can ensure both quality care and cost savings."
The positive effects that early telemedicine programs are having on healthcare are undeniable. The University of Rochester Medical Center is a great example of this, as they were just awarded the 2009 Community Health Improvement Award for their Health-e-Access (HeA) Telemedicine Network by the Healthcare Association of New York State.
HeA provides care to children in twenty-three sites, handling over 7000 telemedicine "visits" with more than fifty clinicians. Ninety six percent of "visits" resolved the medical issue and didn't require a follow-up referral to a primary care practice or emergency room.
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