‘The studies of tens of thousands of patients show the value of e-care and frankly, we don’t need “further study” and decades and billions of dollars more before implementing e-care models that are already here today. We simply don’t have the time to delay any further, especially when so many people do not have access to any care today, face-to-face or electronic.’ Eric Dishman, Intel Fellow, Digital Health Group, Healthcare @ Intel blog
(Tell us what you really think, Mr. Dishman!)
For those of us ‘veterans’ who are fatigued with the endless ‘pilots’ and studies, endless Congressional/state legislative dog ‘n’ pony shows, the ‘ROI’ imposed on human lives, the ‘tentative toe in the water’ that insurers are now dipping [TA 30 July], the dozen units here, the 50 there…the above will certainly get you looking for a barricade to man. Or are we shouting into a tornado: not proved our case, homeless data, who’s responsible, who takes action, who pays, who’s liable for the risk, there’s no bandwidth to consider this in the midst of the 104-card pickup of EHR/HITECH and ‘reform’…?
We have readers who’ve been struggling with all the above for 10 years, back when it was still looking for a name.
Is Eric Dishman our John the Baptist, or sending us over a cliff a la Wile E Coyote? What do you think? Respond via the Comments….
Telehealth is marginalized by doctors
No reason to rant and rave at the government or every other group — the one group that in aggregate both prescribes telehealth and also endorses the continuation of never-ending studies about its effectiveness — doctors — my opinion only, of course. Their income is down already as a result of a long litany of reasons. If telehealth consultations paid them MORE than a face-to-face, end of barriers. The AMA would describe it as the greatest thing since sliced bread.
My favorite line ever about the slow progress to automate or implement technology came from a research interviewee last year when I wrote “Calibrated Care is Closer to Home”:
A dollar saved is a dollar of income lost to someone.
Thank you Mr Dishman
You would think if doctors could carry out more consultations per day, then that alone would justify the economic argument. But it’s not just down to doctors – people are understandably mistrusting of technology as it can be perceived to be a method of cost (or corner) cutting. If successive governments hadn’t made big tech cock-ups this probably wouldn’t be a problem.
Good spot though, and progress all the same…
Mike, QCS
it’s time to get telehealth to everyone who needs it
It has been longer thatn 10 years for many people. It is more the the reluctant MDs. You can add hospital executive teams (no understanding of technology other than information systems). How long did it take for fax machines to be adopted?
Doctors unafraid of technology
Well, here are a bunch of doctors who seem to have embraced the use of technology to treat people at a distance…even if it is mostly within their own facility. Newark-Wayne Community Hospital telehealth specialists.
See also, How Does a Telehealth Appointment Work?