Monday, June 15

The Obama Administration is eager to save money on health care. One approach that hasn’t been discussed much in Washington is the development of telemedicine.

Distance medical care has been technically possible for a decade, but it’s been slow to get off the ground. Even though more and more Internet users have high-speed access, the use of two-way video for professional services remains limited.

One of the biggest obstacles is that private insurers have dragged their feet on the idea. Yes, it makes economic sense because of the efficiencies involved. But why should insurance companies approve another way to reimburse providers for services?

Last Thursday, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed legislation that will require health plans to cover telemedicine services. It’s not the first state to do so; Kentucky has a similar law. Naturally, larger, more rural states have a lot vested in seeing telemedicine work.

But the market is much bigger than that. Even urban areas would benefit since travel time is eliminated, and it takes stress off brick and mortar medical facilities by allowing patients with milder illnesses to avoid clogging up waiting rooms.

Here’s a scenario that a few years ago may have been viewed as science fiction, but it’s within the realm of possibility in the not-terribly-distant future. A patient gets up in the morning and sits at a desk where a series of vitals are taken with home equipment. That includes blood pressure, temperature, blood sugar and similar basic tests.

The patient logs on to the Web, and the information is relayed to his or her physician. The information is reviewed, and then a two-way video connection is established. The medical provider can get at least some visual and audio clues regarding the health of the patient. Combined with the actual data, the physician can make a competent recommendation for treatment.

Some, maybe most, services will still have to take place face-to-face. But for routine treatment, telemedicine might be all you need.

UnitedHealth, one of the nation’s top insurers, recognizes the potential here. The company announced June 3 that it is partnering with a vendor called American Well to offer online services. For a more detailed description of what’s planned, here’s a podcast featuring an interview with the American Well CEO.

Critics appropriately point out that health care quality may take a hit via “drive-by” diagnosis and treatment. But they are missing the big picture. With 50 Americans uninsured, largely due to the soaring costs of health care coverage, some access is better than no access at all. And remember: rapidly advancing technology will be giving online providers more and more data as time goes on.

This is also a trend that the public is ready to embrace. A recent survey showed that 78 percent of health care consumers want to work with service providers online in at least some capacity. Health care planners predict 25 percent will be doing so within the next four years.

Obviously this isn’t the complete answer to the country’s health care dilemma. But it looks like it might be an important piece of the puzzle.





