Telecare Aware readers will not be surprised that telemedicine is the least developed of our three ‘teles’. A new IDC Health Insights consumer study found in their sample that hardly anyone has used videoconferencing as part of their healthcare–4.6%–and of that 3.5% were 35 or younger. The big holdup is the usual–reimbursement. Only 11 US states mandate that health plans cover telemedicine (VA, CA, TX and others). Yet the players are large: Polycom, Cisco/Tandberg, and under evaluation by Dell. Some opportunities: smartphones (9.7% more likely to use for appointment reminders), those already using remote patient monitoring would buy health devices from their cable or telephone company (44%). Information Week article. IDC Health Insights: Monetizing Telemedicine: Vendors, Service Providers, and Payers Opportunities — Report 1: Describing the Telemedicine Landscape in the United States (registration required, and it’s yours for $5,500).