Telemedicine is starting to really make an impact as it is adopted in evermore creative and all-encompassing ways. Barriers to telemedicine adoption are starting to crumble, as reimbursements and regulations catch up.
Two recent programs caught our eye as being interesting in terms of improving performance in managed care settings.
One program is taking aim at diabetes in a broad swatch of the California Native American community. Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health serves nine tribes in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The region encompasses nearly 30,000 square miles. With diabetes being such a prevalent problem in the Native American community, that is the first thing the Indian Health Services sought to address. Pulmonology, cardiology, gerontology and dermatology will be addressed in the project's subsequent phases.
The Indian Health program anticipates the following benefits:
- Cultural awareness
- Treating disease early
- Improved efficiencies and savings
- Better coordinated care
- Avoidance of duplication of services and tests
Another pilot, at Banner Health in Phoenix, is an effort in their Intensive Ambulatory Care program. They aim to help patients with multiple chronic conditions with a key focus on performance and value. Fierce Health IT reports that "Through the program, nurses and primary care physicians treat patients from their homes and collect and analyze the health data to prevent adverse events."
Thus far, the chronic disease program has seen:
- Cost savings
- Fewer hospitalizations
- Shorter hospital stays
Of course, these are just two examples of the myriad ways telemedicine is being used. And results are being seen in contexts as varied as the VA health system. What telemedicine results are you seeing in your organization or your community? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below.
Curious what telemedicine can actually look like in action? Take a look at iClickCare's 1-minute video:
