December 20, 2008
A Roadmap for Telemedicine: Barriers Yet to Overcome
A very interesting special edition of the Journal of Telemedicine and eHealth discusses "A Roadmap for Telemedicine: Barriers Yet to Overcome." The editorial by Charles R. Doarn and Ronald C. Merrell reviews the downturn in the economy and the impact on healthcare delivery. The authors point out "as the economy constricts, many products and services will simply vanish. Budgets for health information technology will take a hit as will many other growth activities in the health sector. While gasoline cost may soon be much lower than record highs, people will still feel the need to bypass expensive doctor visits. These challenges will force change in many different aspects of healthcare delivery. This is the silver lining. Telemedicine technologies have been proven to work. It is a viable option and now is the time to embrace wider adoption. While there is a cost associated with wider adoption, there is an even greater cost for not moving forward with these proven tools."
There are a number of worthwhile articles and a series of white papers that paint a 'roadmap for the future.' Some of the articles address innovative programs, medication compliance, cost-effectiveness, wearable monitors and much more. The best way to introduce the issues and their relevance today is to reprint the abstract of one of the white papers.
Societal Drivers in the Applications of Telehealth
Abstract
Charles R. Doarn, Peter Yellowlees, Deborah A. Jeffries, Denny Lordan, Sally Davis, Glenn Hammack, Thelma McClosky-Armstrong, Joseph Kvedar
The application of telemedicine and e-health tools and the integration of these tools in healthcare is no longer a demonstration, pilot project, or idea. The changing landscape of humanity dictates that new solutions be implemented to address old problems. The landscape is changing with diminishing resources of fossil fuels, aging population, a shortage of skilled labor in healthcare (doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals), and emerging technologies for the personal space, culture, and consumer demand. All are key drivers in altering healthcare delivery, access, and education. The very foundation of medicine needs to change to meet these demands. Access using telehealth will widen and enable our ability to respond to public health issues. This paper addresses the many societal issues facing healthcare delivery and demonstrates how telehealth solutions are key components of the future of healthcare delivery across the globe.
Free access to the articles online at Telemedicine and e-Health
Posted by rsk at December 20, 2008 10:15 AM