Tonight's Bill of Health segment is about the growth of "telemedicine networks" around the country. These networks basically allow people and clinics in rural or inner-city areas to connect with medical specialists in urban centers. Those specialists can run the gamut from dermatology to cardiology -- and even psychiatry.
Telemedicine is not new. Since the late 1960s, technologists have been working with various devices to link physicians and patients remotely. However, the medical community didn’t really begin to take telemedicine seriously until the 1990s. Once again, we can thank the advent of the Internet, as well as cheaper computer technology, for making that happen.
To date, there are more than 200 different telemedicine networks operating in the US and roughly 2000 outpatient sites. The first telemedicine networks were started to connect sick inmates in state prisons to medical specialists. Such innovations helped save transport costs and also reduced security concerns. Experts believe telemedicine is likely to become even more widely used as Americans seek additional ways to stretch Medicaid and Medicare budgets.
A key holdup for telemedicine's use is in the reimbursement of physicians for their services. Some insurors will not pay for telemedicine consults -- the consult must be done "in person" to qualify. Medicare rules are expected to change to reflect increased emphasis on telemedicine, and experts believe private insurors will also slowly warm to telemedicine technology as a cost-saving way to put medical experts in touch with the clients who need their advice.
Comments
On your show about imigration I would like to commnent about particularly the mexican population.I have experienced in a large manufacturing company in the oil industry that I hear 80% of my day listening to spanish.Some of these people have been in this country as long as fifteen years and still cannot speak a complete sentence in english and understand a conversation in english at a minimal level.These are jobs that english speaking Americans want . So where do we come up with they don't take jobs away from Americans that speak and respect engilsh as being the unified way of communicating.I am experiencing in some places I eat or shop that it is hard to find places that the people can understand your questions and other communication.What happened to English being the American language.On some of these co-workers I've asked to PLEASE speak english more and they have refused.It is time consuming to get work detail or other communication accomplished. We need to reverse our need for immigrants.We can't provide for our nation now and need the country to be united.The immigrants who come here now seem to not want to learn to be American and this is becoming a threat to our country as one.What has happened? The immigrant only seems to want to make this country into their old country unlike imigrants of the past who tried to be American.When do we recognize a need to change and eliminate immigration? We cannot feed and support the worlds neglected anymore.They need to learn to fight and make change in their countries.
MS - Katy Texas