farm along country road in Southern York County, PA

Rural Telemedicine Growing More Slowly than Expected

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Telemedicine has been touted as a revolutionary solution to the shortage of physicians in rural areas, but a recent study published in JAMA suggests that although this trend may have begun, it has not yet snowballed as expected. Between 2005 and 2017, 83.3% of patients with commercial insurance who used telemedicine services lived in urban areas. This suggests that they were not driven to use telemedicine by a shortage of physicians, but rather by other factors such as convenience. Such a surprising result seems contrary to the belief that rural patients are seeking greater access to physicians; if this were the case, then one might expect more rural telemedicine than urban telemedicine. Read more

golden star trophy

swyMed Makes Becker’s List of Industry Leaders

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Becker’s Hospital Review has published a list of the top 250 telehealth companies to know in 2018—and we’re pleased and honored to be on that list. Becker’s regularly scouts the industry and highlights the companies leading the way, at times featuring up-and-comers who they believe will really shake things up; Read more

Mick with Backpack overlooking valley

Alaska Puts DOT Backpack to the Test for Rural Telemedicine

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As one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, Alaska presents a host of challenges for rural telemedicine, such as having sufficient bandwidth to support the demands of live video, but it also offers a wealth of opportunities for the industry—namely, minimizing highly inconvenient travel requirements and allowing specialists to see more patients within a given day. Recently, Partners In Energy (PIE) Advisors put the swyMed DOT Telemedicine Backpack to the test in Alaska’s wilderness to test its connectivity and performance in extremely remote, unforgiving environments, with the ultimate goal of using this tool to deliver a higher standard of healthcare to the underserved indigenous population. Read more

5G wireless network antenna clipart

For Telemedicine, 5G Networks Hold Promise

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The recent speculation over whether the U.S. federal government might build a 5G network brings up an intriguing question: Does telemedicine need 5G networks? At first glance, the answer may appear to be a resounding “Yes” because most telemedicine systems require high-bandwidth networks in order to function reliably. However, a closer look at the current market suggests that a more cautious approach may be warranted. When it comes to telemedicine, 5G may not be a panacea after all—at least not today. Read more

businessman touching internet concept

How Does the Net Neutrality Repeal Affect Telemedicine?

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Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 along partisan lines to repeal the 2015 ruling that instituted net neutrality. When the repeal takes effect in February, internet service providers (ISPs) will no longer be prohibited from blocking or slowing particular web content, or from charging distinct prices for different connection speeds. While some experts welcome the freedom of an open internet, transparency rules, and the stimulation of business development, others are more skeptical of the ramifications of such a move on the telemedicine industry and its patients. Read more

NBC News Affiliate Highlights swyMed’s Mobile Telehealth Solution

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swyMed recently announced that it has joined forces with the Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) on a program to implement telemedicine between EMS providers and a select group of trauma centers in rural West Texas. The objective of the project is to improve patient outcomes by using telemedicine technology to bring the judgment of trauma surgeons into the back of ambulances to assess and direct treatment. Read more

elderly man in ambulance

Maximizing the Potential for Mobile Telestroke

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When it comes to treating stroke, every moment counts. A stroke patient only has a three-hour window from symptom onset in which access to the clot-busting and lifesaving drug tPA can do the most good; after that, the chances of recovery plummet. Unfortunately, many regional and rural hospitals don’t have a 24-hour neurologist on hand to make timely diagnoses. To make things worse, only about 27 percent of stroke patients arrive at the hospital within 3.5 hours of symptom onset, leaving nearly three-quarters of stroke patients at risk for more permanent damage. (1) In an effort to deliver care to patients in a timelier manner, systems are increasingly looking into mobile telestroke programs. Read more

Remote Patient Evaluation concept on tablet

Remote Patient Evaluation (RPE) Is Ready for Primetime

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To date, remote patient monitoring (RPM) has used digital technologies to collect health data from patients in one place and transmit that information securely to case managers somewhere else. This approach has proven useful for caregivers to prioritize follow-ups and monitor compliance as they have easy access to real-time data such as weight, glucose levels, blood pressure, heart rate, air flow, and even data trends measured by patients in the comfort of their homes. Now, thanks to telemedicine, Remote Patient Evaluation (RPE)—the next evolutionary step for RPM—is putting the “care” in home healthcare. Read more

swyMed Developing Hands-Free, Remote Patient Evaluation (RPE) System Using Glass

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swyMed is currently deploying a telemedicine solution that will enable remote providers to perform patient evaluations with the assistance of a patient-side caregiver using Glass Enterprise Edition as their “workstation.” The swyMed video telemedicine system, using Glass’ lightweight, wearable technology, allows patient-side caregivers to keep their hands free and thus remain fully engaged with the patient while simultaneously bringing the skills and experience of a remote physician to the situation. Read more

swyMed Partners with Bassett Healthcare Network to Provide Highly Reliable Video Telemedicine Technology for Its School-Based Health Centers

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Initiative to Allow for Real-Time Video Encounters between Network Hospitals and the District’s Educational Institutions

Lexington, MA – May 16, 2017 – swyMed, a provider of exceptional-quality video telemedicine solutions, and Bassett Healthcare Network today announced that they have joined forces to allow for highly reliable video telemedicine encounters within Bassett Healthcare’s 15 School-Based Health Centers (SBHC). Bassett Healthcare’s SBHCs are medical offices located within school buildings, in partnership between school districts and their six network hospitals and 46 regional health centers.  Under the terms of the agreement, swyMed is providing Bassett Healthcare’s SBHCs with the advanced networking infrastructure capabilities to allow for real-time video telemedicine encounters between area students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and medical staff.   Read more