Telemedicine Provider e-health button on keyboard

Telemedicine Provider Teladoc’s Bold Move

Teladoc has popped up in the news quite a bit lately as a telemedicine provider. Well-known for their strong presence in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine market, they’ve been expanding their global reach lately by acquiring smaller DTC telemedicine companies such as Best Doctors, Advance Medical, French company MédecinDirect, and others. So far, they’ve focused on accessing patients either directly or through business partnerships. Now, however, in a move aimed at medical facilities, Teledoc has announced its purchase of telemedicine vendor InTouch Health. Read more

Telehealth for astronauts aboard the International Space Station over the planet Earth. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

Telehealth for Astronauts: Unearthing Deadly Risks

When we think of telemedicine sessions, most of us probably picture consultations that take no longer than a typical appointment; once a treatment plan is agreed upon, only brief follow-up telemedicine visits remain. But what if the patient isn’t on earth? As reported by Forbes, in the longest telemedicine consultation on record, a U.S. astronaut has been successfully treated for a potentially fatal condition while living on the International Space Station (ISS). Read more

Telemedicine services or urgent care services? Injured girl receiving first aid

How Do Telemedicine Services Affect the Primary Care Model?

Recent surveys from the Kaiser Family Foundation have shown that roughly one in four American adults have not chosen a regular doctor that they see for general ailments. For adults under age 30, that ratio jumps to nearly half. For a health care system originally built on primary care-centered medicine—which has proven to reduce health care costs by one-third—this is unsettling news indeed. However, evolving technologies such as telemedicine services are re-shaping the health care landscape, forcing existing generalists to adapt to the new paradigm for survival. Read more