JLF Health Care Policy Analyst Jordan Roberts writes:
Telemedicine and telehealth are two terms that are gaining notoriety in the health care field. The two terms are often used interchangeably. Depending on the context, however, they may refer to different services. In the broadest sense, telemedicine or telehealth refer to a patient receiving health care treatment or diagnosis remotely through telecommunications. In more specific terms, telemedicine may indicate clinical procedures performed remotely, while telehealth may be a term used to describe the application of telecommunications in health care that go beyond standard clinical care.
Telemedicine is not a new phenomenon. The gains in technological capabilities over the past several years have increased its potential use dramatically. Infusing technology into health care may change fundamentally the way patients can receive care outside of the traditional brick and mortar facility. Physicians already use telecommunications for health care delivery, but much of the potential has yet to be discovered. As is the case with many innovations, government regulation that may have good intentions could hinder the adoption of this cost saving, patient-driven delivery model. In this research update, I will examine some telemedicine regulation do’s and don’ts.
Read the “do’s and don’ts” here.
