September 8, 2008

Telemedicine

Dean Halverson

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/healthcare/story/4...

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082108-networker.html

I read a few articles about in-home patient care, also called “telemedicine,” which has actually been used for quite some time by the elderly. In the article, a patient steps on a scale daily and takes her blood pressure, then the information is sent straight to her doctor.

It helps cut down healthcare costs because it minimizes actual physician visits. And, nurses can check-in on patients they think need attention because they can watch for abnormalities using up-to-date health records.

But what’s really interesting about telemedicine is the role it could play in a new consumer-driven healthcare model; it could become popular for younger generations too.

Mothers with children would easily benefit from using telemedicine more frequently to have more time at home. New moms or pregnant women could also become potential users to closely monitor infant growth.

Telemedicine also has great potential to grow especially as aging boomers flood the system; it could answer many questions about access and capacity in the years to come.

»