Eric Wicklund
While consumers and developing countries are driving the growth of the global mHealth market developed nations like the United States are slower to adapt finds a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Two panel discussions Monday at the American Telemedicine Association's conference in San Jose, Calif., tackled money issues. Healthcare providers are looking for a return on investment in telemedicine applications and venture capitalists are looking for a reason to invest in the growing industry.
Physicians use new technologies in the ever-growing telemedicine field to expand their practices and grow their revenue.
Midmark, a developer of digital diagnostic devices for ambulatory care, is touting its new at-home sleep testing device as an important tool in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Officials say it can also reduce costs by as much as 70 percent.
The VA had published a proposed rule in March to eliminate the co-pays, then added a direct final rule that would expedite the process if the proposed rule received no "significant" opposition. With the comment period ending on April 5, the rule could go into effect as early as May 7.
Iconic Data has announced the release of SwiftPayMD, a revenue cycle management app for the iPhone and iPad that's designed to enable doctors to immediately bill for their services.
In its first full year of contracting with Teladoc for telehealth services, Rent-A-Center reported savings of more than $700,000 in healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
A new social media resource is aimed at preventing physician stress and burnout.
The latest in mobile health innovations – from smartphone apps to telehealth tools – might at first be considered in the vein of improving clinical outcomes. But providers, payers and vendors will quickly point out that they can save the healthcare system a lot of money, too.
Faced with an endless cycle of non-urgent visits to the doctor or, worse, the emergency room, employers and health plans are looking to telemedicine for an easier way to connect the stuffy nose – or the sprained ankle, or the upset stomach – to the doctor. Those connections are now being made online or though phone calls engineered by companies like Teladoc, Stat Health Services and American Well.