The TeleDentists stepped up during the Coronavirus pandemic providing an important service during a time of critical patient need. Dental offices closed, but patients continued to get toothaches. Patients found relief by looking for solutions on the Internet or were guided to our site by two major insurance companies, Cigna and Anthem. For most patients, […]
The Millennial generation is the biggest in US history—even bigger than the Baby Boomers. They value (among other things) Innovation, Convenience and Experiences. Has telemedicine found the demographic group which will make this delivery system a ubiquitous component of medicine? Several new service offerings suggest that perhaps it has. Slingshot – https://www.slingshothealth.com/ – Is a […]
When speaking to former colleagues in telecommunications, teleradiology, or telemedicine about my new opportunity in teledentistry, often the first question I get is, “How do you do teledentistry?” Good question. A prospective client recently asked, “What are things that can be treated with teledentistry” (and without entering the patient’s mouth). The TeleDentists (www.theteledentists.con) replied: Tooth […]
Teleradiology? Main stream.1 Tele-Psychiatry – Common practice and being used for 50 years.2 Tele-Stroke and Tele- ICU have found their place in hospitals across the country. And now the emergence of companies dedicated to sub-specialty telemedicine. Teledermatology, Telecardiology, Tele-orthopedics, Telepathology, Tele-ophthalmology, Tele-obstetrics, Tele-pediatrics. And now, Teledentistry. Teledentistry is the use of information technology and telecommunications […]
I recently had a medical imaging exam. The procedure went smoothly and the results (report and images) were soon available to me on the patient portal established by the radiology provider. The referring physician, of course had their own portal with a separate log-in and user interface. Fortunately, I know to request of a CD […]
Mom turned 90 this year. She is in relatively good health with no life-threatening illnesses. She lives in a well-appointed independent living facility about 30 minutes from my home. In the past few weeks I have taken Mom on several medical appointments and having been involved in telemedicine for close to 30 years, I ask […]
I have just returned from a whirlwind of travel, attending four conferences in four weeks, all related to the fields of telemedicine and medical imaging. I am sharing some brief observations. NAOHP – National Association of Occupational Health Providers – Nashville Tennessee Occupational health is a field of health care made up of multiple disciplines […]
In 30+ years of exploring the benefits and challenges for widespread adoption of telemedicine one barrier has been prevalent from the beginning. Reimbursement for telemedicine has been steadily improving by most payers including individual State Medicaid programs and major insurance companies with one significant exception-Medicare remains a major obstacle. This has been particularly inhibiting for […]
Grand Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has initiated a Telemedicine Pilot Program. The main goal of this DSRIP funded Telemedicine pilot is to increase quality of care for the residents through timely physician consultation visits via telemedicine. Changes in a resident’s physical condition can necessitate the need for an immediate assessment and additional actions to be taken by a physician. This pilot program allows for physicians to consult […]
Traditionally telemedicine has always involved real-time face-to-face communications directly between physicians or between doctors and patients. Meanwhile, teleradiology is a store-and-forward technology where doctors remotely read medical images sent to them from many facilities and provide their diagnosis. The question is whether there a way to combine these two and provide benefits not otherwise available? Teleradiology Use […]
Last month we began the exploration of whether telehealth can help fight the opioid abuse crisis. The statistics continue to overwhelm. More deaths last year from opioid abuse (60,000) than in the entire Vietnam War. An increase of 45% in overdose deaths in New York City between 2015 and 2016, 93% of these involve opioids. […]
The numbers are staggering. Every day, in 2016, more than 115 Americans died after overdosing on opioids.*1 The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. A leading research group declares that […]
The Future of Telemedicine – I asked the experts. Here’s what they had to say. Jay Sanders, MD President and CEO of The Global Telemedicine Group Founding board member of the American Telemedicine Association, serves as President Emeritus. The “father” father of telemedicine By 2025 telemedicine will be so commonplace for the provider and […]
The industry has evolved and it’s still a confusing picture. There are several key components of telemedicine including: > Live Video Conferencing – between physician (or other healthcare practitioner) and patient (or physician and physician) > Store-and-Forward – the transmission of a patient’s record or data to a healthcare provider > Remote Patient Monitoring – the […]
The concept of telemedicine is not new. A simple definition of telemedicine: The ability to practice medicine when the expert and the patient are separated by distance with the support of telecommunications technology. One of the earliest telemedicine trials was in the summer of 1967 when Massachusetts General Hospital set up two TV cameras at Logan […]
(To the tune of When I’m Sixty Four) When I get older, thinking of health, just two years from now Seeing my doctor via video chat, manage my vitals, ten seconds flat Hey Dr. Dermo is this a mole? Or is it something more? Manage my bills, reminders for pills, when I’m sixty four You’ll […]
Maybe I’m naïve. But I did hear Thomas Friedman state, “Naivety is the new reality” in his keynote address last month at the American Telemedicine Association annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. So naïve to believe the best in people and to be amazed when I see their intellectual talents trying to defraud, rather than to […]
One of the great privileges in life has been to see the birth of a new child. Ok, now I’m working on grandchildren and that’s a great privilege too. In my professional life, I’ve had the privilege to observe the phenomena of bringing a new product to market. There are similarities. Source-Ray Inc. (SRI) (http://www.sourceray.com/) […]
As I started an engagement with a new consulting client that plans to read medical images using artificial intelligence (deep learning) some interesting questions needed to be answered. Who owns medical images? Is it the patient, the provider, the imaging vendor (or someone else?). As medical images become part of searchable databases, do the rules […]
Telemedicine and Life and Death There is (virtually) no aspect of life which cannot be positively impacted by the addition of telemedicine. Telemedicine for Pediatric Care In May 2001 Dr. Ken McConnochie began delivering Telemedicine care to five inner-city Rochester child care sites and today virtual care is available in all Rochester City Schools. (see […]