By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Does Telemedicine Mean for the Future of Affordable Healthcare?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health care > What Does Telemedicine Mean for the Future of Affordable Healthcare?
eHealthHealth careMedical InnovationsTechnology

What Does Telemedicine Mean for the Future of Affordable Healthcare?

Andy Lurie
Last updated: January 10, 2018 9:52 pm
Andy Lurie
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

Healthcare in the United States has undergone a number of major changes in the last several years. The electronic health records (EHR) mandate was a step in the right direction that promised greater collaboration and team-based care for patients around the country, and the Affordable Care Act expanded the government’s healthcare support system to insure more Americans than ever before.

Contents
Telemedicine Practically Reduces Costs for PatientsTelemedicine Reduces Operating Costs for Healthcare FacilitiesAddressing the Challenges of TelemedicineConclusion

Today, parts of ACA have been repealed, including the portion that requires American citizens to either purchase health insurance or pay a fine. As a result, the government’s medicare program has lost significant funding, some 13 million Americans have already dropped their insurance coverage, some health insurance providers have vacated the market entirely, and those insured under ACA-compliant programs are scrambling for ways to get their ballooning premiums under control.

Politics aside, telemedicine could be one of the best ways to deliver affordable healthcare to a growing population in the future. Telemedicine is the practice of delivering healthcare to patients using connective technology – phone calls, video chat, and instant messaging. Keep reading to find out how telemedicine is already influencing the future of affordable healthcare.

Telemedicine Practically Reduces Costs for Patients

Folks across the United States are actively looking for ways to reduce their personal healthcare costs. A feasibility study published by Dale H. Yamamoto determined that the average cost of a telemedicine appointment was just $54, compared to $176 for in-person acute care. With just 1-2% of eligible beneficiaries leveraging telemedicine today, the overall potential for lowering costs throughout the healthcare system is significant.

More Read

Dissatisfaction with Billing Companies Starts with Lack of Clarity of What is Expected
Continuous Insulin Infusion in Diabetes Management
The Importance of Patient Advocates for Orphan Drugs
Online Patient Reviews: Power, Influence and Muscle to Grow Even Bigger
10 Practical Tips To Ensure Online Reputation Management For Doctors

Traditional healthcare delivery generates a number of external costs that are typically absorbed by the patient. Many doctor’s offices are open only during regular business hours, and some only on select days, meaning that patients often have to take time off work to see a physician. Physicians are often overbooked, and patients find themselves spending time in waiting rooms – time that could be used otherwise for something valuable.

Those who live in rural areas can find themselves in dire straits when they need to meet with a physician. They may have to travel great distances, especially for care from a specialist. This invariably produces additional costs – childcare, elderly care, additional time off work, and even travel expenses. Rural Americans can benefit significantly from access to a physician’s care through their phones or home computers, and physicians can expand the reach of their practices by offering telemedicine to populations in under-serviced areas.

Telemedicine Reduces Operating Costs for Healthcare Facilities

Telemedicine also promises to reduce operating costs for hospitals and other healthcare facilities as adoption rates increase. Healthcare facilities deal with overhead costs in proportion to the number of patients they see, so a reduction in the number of in-person visits naturally translates into a reduction in operating costs, even while potentially servicing a wider base of patients.

Physicians can benefit from less crowded waiting rooms, streamlined access to care for their patients, reduced real estate, energy, reception staff, and other overhead costs, and increasingly flexible hours, as they can take telemedicine appointments from home outside of regular business hours.

Importantly, telemedicine can relieve crowding at hospitals when combined with home-monitoring solutions that allow physicians to remotely monitor the health status of patients under their charge. In Arizona, one chain of hospitals achieved a 45% reduction in unnecessary hospitalizations and a 33% reduction in associated costs by combining telemedicine and remote patient monitoring with a team-based patient care paradigm.

Addressing the Challenges of Telemedicine

Early adopters of telemedicine solutions are already actualizing some of the great benefits this technology offers, but it’s important to acknowledge some of the barriers faced by Americans when it comes to adopting telemedicine as a healthcare delivery medium.

For starters, 84% of US households own a computer and just 73% have internet access. With the proliferation of smart phone technology, it can be hard to imagine that many people still aren’t accessing the internet on a regular basis. Those who find computer ownership cost-prohibitive stand to miss out on the benefits of telemedicine, and these may already be some of the most vulnerable to rising healthcare costs.

Many insurance companies are lagging behind in terms of developing a compensation structure for telemedicine appointments. There’s no logic for the patient in foregoing a $176 visit to the doctor’s office that’s covered by insurance for a $54 telemedicine appointment that’s paid out of pocket. It’s time for insurance companies to update their reimbursement plans to address the benefits of telemedicine, and start promoting the application of connective technology as a means of reducing systemic healthcare costs.

Finally, it’s important to acknowledge the limits of telemedicine. Diagnostic procedures and physical assessments will still need to be conducted in-person, and while telemedicine is already being used to facilitate outstanding care for patients suffering with mental illnesses, it may be less effective for other kinds of treatments. The development of a framework for effective treatments with telemedicine will allow physicians to optimally leverage this technology in their practices.

Conclusion

Telemedicine is still in its early days as a technology, but the excellent results achieved so speak to the huge potential of telemedicine to enhance patient care outcomes across the healthcare system while achieving cost reductions that allow more Americans to access affordable healthcare.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Andy Lurie
Follow:
Andy Lurie is an accomplished, results-oriented marketing professional with strong experience in marketing, advertising, brand positioning, event, and promotion management. With expertise in the healthcare industry, specifically focused on workflow optimization.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

ImmunoGenetix Discovers a Safer Approach To HIV Treatment

September 19, 2011

Likes, Fans and Followers: 5 Ways to Create a Winning Facebook Page for Your Hospital

October 12, 2016
Image
Social Media

Debunking SEO Myths for Medical Websites

May 27, 2016
Technology

Enhance FO Operational Efficiency In Healthcare And BI Reports

April 13, 2020
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?