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Elderly man, having trouble seeing, lifts eyeglasses and leans towards computer screen using telemedicine for seniors

Telemedicine for Seniors: Helping Patients Get the Most Out of Their Visits

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Out of necessity, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic jump-started the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Most patients have welcomed the convenience and protective advantages offered by the technology, including the elderly. Despite the impressive rise in utilization rate within this demographic, however, telemedicine for seniors still presents significant, more personal challenges that cannot be ameliorated by changes in legislation alone. For this particular population—coined “unready for telemedicine”—any long-term solutions should consider factors that contribute to unreadiness, such as hearing or sight disability, challenges with speaking or conveying thoughts, possible dementia, lack of an internet-capable device, or not having used email, text messages, or the internet in the last month. Read more

sick man on telemedicine house call with doctor

Telemedicine House Calls: Our Past Is Catching up to Our Future

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After years of evolution, the health care delivery system is slowly returning to its roots: house calls. In the 1800s, ailing patients remained at home, waiting for the roaming doctor to arrive via horseback. By the mid-20th century, home visits were abandoned in favor of bringing ill patients to the doctor’s stationary office. Fast forward to the 2020s: The ubiquitous nature of technology, paired with looming physician shortages and climbing health care costs, is bringing us full circle via telemedicine house calls. Along with the highly touted benefits of in-home virtual visits, clinicians have found that this method provides information about the patient’s home environment that is often overlooked during traditional office visits. This additional insight can be a major factor in designing an appropriate treatment plan that accounts for the daily obstacles presented in the patient’s home. Read more

Telemedicine Provider e-health button on keyboard

Telemedicine Provider Teladoc’s Bold Move

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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

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

How Do Telemedicine Services Affect the Primary Care Model?

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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

Telemedicine in hospitals as demonstrated by patient, nurse, and physician

Beyond the ER: Expanding Telemedicine in Hospitals

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At Cleveland Clinic, recovering stroke and epilepsy patients can use the TV in the room to watch a movie—or see their physicians for a follow-up visit via video conferencing. Last July, the facility opened a neurology step-down unit that had been newly-equipped with telemedicine capabilities. The director of Cleveland Clinic’s cerebrovascular center, Muhammad Shazam Hussain, MD, was interviewed recently about introducing telemedicine in hospitals, outside of emergency rooms. Read more

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DTC Telemedicine: Risk or Relief?

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Most talk of telemedicine centers around doctor’s offices, medical facilities, and hospitals, but another segment is drawing increased attention—and unease. Direct-to-consumer telemedicine, in which a telemedicine company links a health care provider with a patient upon the patient’s request, perhaps through a smartphone app or in a supermarket with a private kiosk, has been rising in popularity due to the clear benefits offered by the modality. However, a recent editorial in JAMA brings up serious concerns about the quality of care being provided to these patients via DTC telemedicine. Read more

HIPAA requirements document with hand holding magnifying glass - to avoid HIPAA violations

Avoid These Common HIPAA Violations

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More than twenty years since its inception, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has made significant strides in keeping patients’ healthcare information private. However, even now, HIPAA violations still occur on a regular basis—often as a result of unintentional actions, leading to fines that can range from $100 to $1.5 million. In addition, providers may be at risk for sanctions or even loss of license. Here, in no particular order, are the 10 most common reasons for HIPAA violation citations; it’s worth reviewing these with your staff periodically to remind them to be careful with discussions, files, and devices. Read more

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swyMed Named in Best Telemedicine Companies for 2019

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TechRadar, an international technology news and reviews site, recently assembled a list of the best telemedicine companies for 2019. Out of over 250 telemedicine companies on the market, swyMed is honored to have been named as #3. Besides being able to deliver the expected benefits of telemedicine—including reduced travel, time and costs, as well as increased convenience and efficiency—the top platforms must also have the following essential features, as outlined by TechRadar: Read more

School nurse taking care of student for telemedicine consult

Direct-to-Consumer Telemedicine May Shift Primary Care Focus

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As the public increasingly turns to direct-to-consumer telemedicine services for minor ailments, rather than rushing to urgent care centers or doctors’ offices, industry experts are predicting a shift in the nature of the primary-care clinic as one of the largest impacts of this phenomenon. Studies are starting to show that patients are turning to telemedicine instead of visiting an emergency department or urgent-care center, saving healthcare systems tens of millions of dollars each year. As telemedicine becomes more integrated into the way healthcare is provided, some experts believe it will become a routine, expected service instead of a special, additional feature. Read more

Open bottle of prescription medicine

The Impact of Telepharmacy on Controlled Substances, Patients and Prescribers

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As telemedicine becomes more commonplace, telepharmacy grows more popular as well, especially for patients in remote rural areas who lack easy access to physicians and pharmacists. When it comes to controlled substances, though, the practice of prescribing medication through telemedicine becomes tricky; should in-person office visits between patients and providers be required? Read more