It’s perhaps difficult to get our heads around this fact, but it’s true to say that telemedicine has been with us for nearly a hundred years now. We probably think of telemedicine in terms of video and Skype calls, or the emailing of scans and X-rays – things that could surely only have been available in the last decade or two! In fact, though, one of the earliest forms of telemedicine occurred in the 1940s, when radiology images were transported from one town to another via a telephone line. This was the start of it, but telemedicine has sure come a long way since those days!

The use of telemedicine today has spread rapidly and is now part of the fabric of hospital services, specialty departments, home health agencies, physician offices, and indeed patients’ workplaces and homes. Telemedicine encompasses everything from a simple telephone consultation or Skype call to digital scans and even the remote monitoring of intensive care units. According to the American Telemedicine Association, more than 20 million Americans will have access to a remote health care service by the end of 2017.

Let’s look at exactly why Americans are embracing telemedicine in droves and how telemedicine could benefit you.

Patients who live in remote locations in the U.S. are experiencing great benefits from the advent of telemedicine.

If you live in a rural part of the States, then simply traveling to see a physician or for a hospital appointment can not only be a huge challenge, but can also take up most of your day. Imagine how much time, energy, and money you would save if you were able to speak with your specialist remotely. It wouldn’t work in all cases, of course, but where you don’t actually need a physical examination it could be hugely beneficial.

Another group of people benefiting from the growing availability of telemedicine is the elderly. The number of elderly Americans is increasing year on year and, of course, as you get older, you are generally less mobile and need more care. Also, older citizens might find it more difficult to travel for every appointment, so to be able to speak with a health professional from the comfort of your own home would be a great benefit. Many senior care home facilities are now accessing telemedicine via videoconferencing. Patients can be viewed and observed by a physician in situ (a much more comfortable and amenable experience for them), a diagnosis can be made, and treatments or prescriptions prescribed. If all of this is done remotely it saves time and money as well as the problems associated with getting elderly patients from A to B. Add to those benefits a less harrowing undertaking for the patient and the fact that this type of care results in fewer hospital admissions, and you have an all-round winner when it comes to telemedicine and elderly care patients.

A further telling reason why the U.S. is embracing telemedicine is that there is currently a shortage of physicians in the States. This shortage is expected to worsen over the next few years. The increase of telemedicine can aid this problem simply because it saves time. Physicians can deal with more patients if they are seeing them remotely; appointments aren’t wasted through “no-shows”; consultation and diagnosis tends to be quicker remotely; scans and X-rays can be shared among experts without the need to actually meet in person and discuss the patient. The more consultations, treatments, and diagnoses of less serious complaints that can be done via telemedicine, the more time the professionals have to treat serious illnesses and conditions. We all benefit from that, right?

From patients right through to health care professionals themselves, telemedicine is providing a huge host of benefits.

Imagine, too, if a physician wanted to take on a new partner. He or she might need to carry out renovations or building works in order to add a new treatment room to accommodate this new partner. There’s an immediate expense, which would only in time be passed onto you, the patient. But if this physician could simply employ a new partner to work remotely with patients, they would only need a desk, a phone, and a laptop. Job done immediately and with little cost! Physicians from the same practice could work rotating schedules, thereby making someone available during out-of-work hours. Again, this allows the practice to treat more patients and gives the patients greater flexibility in accessing help and advice. Something that’s surely of interest to everyone – not least employers, as it means less appointments and consultations during working hours.

Health insurers have perhaps been dragging their heels a little in embracing telemedicine culture, but more and more private insurers are now starting to cover telehealth services. Many states are also coming on board by introducing laws and guidelines. The extent of insurers’ cover varies greatly at the moment and some employ geographical restrictions, so there’s a way to go yet, but we are heading in the right direction. The more health insurance companies that offer cover for telemedicine services, the more the services will be promoted and therefore used by patients. Most insurers can see the advantage for their rural members and some of the more far-sighted companies can see that telemedicine cover might attract businesses who want to offer a modern-day convenience as part of their employee package. Insurers are also hoping that telemedicine will mean less of their members ending up in the more expensive health care scenarios. This is all good news for the consumer. Less costs for our health insurer will mean lower premiums for us.

As you can see, there are many compelling reasons why the U.S. is embracing telemedicine and many ways that telemedicine can be of benefit to you, the consumer. As technology improves, these benefits will surely become even more apparent to us all.

Telemedicine is an exciting and innovative solution to a number of issues faced by patients, but many people find it slightly confusing and off-putting. The truth is that telemedicine is simply healthcare provided via telecommunications technology. It is not a new development as doctors have used telephony since the technology was invented, but it is making new breakthroughs thanks to smartphone technology. Like contemporary telemedicine, the use of emotional support animals, or ESAs, is also not new but is currently experiencing a massive surge in popularity. Animals have been used for therapeutic reasons for thousands of years, but now it is much easier to access proper protection for emotional support animals and their owners thanks to modern technology. As use of telemedicine and emotional support animals grows, the two are being used in tandem more and more frequently.

While many people think that the process of getting an emotional support animal letter is difficult, it’s actually very easy when you use telemedicine. An emotional support animal letter is a document that is stamped, signed, and dated by a medical professional and states that your emotional support animal is used to support you in the treatment of your emotional or psychological condition.

An emotional support animal can be an incredible form of therapy and treatment.

Many people who have conditions that can be helped by emotional support animals may find it quite difficult to leave the house, which is why telemedicine can be so powerful for them. Telemedicine allows these patients to have an online consultation in order to receive their emotional support animal letter instead of having to go to the doctor’s office, which can be an intimidating experience if you are suffering from particular anxieties or phobias. Emotional support animals can help in the treatment of numerous conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, stress and anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. In providing tangible support, ESAs often ensure that their owners can live far more productive lives than those who are battling their conditions alone.

In order to get an emotional support animal letter via telemedicine, you just need to have an online consultation which can be done on your smartphone. You may have to wait in a virtual waiting room, but when you get through, you’ll speak to a qualified medical professional who will assess your suitability. They will ask you about your condition and how your pet helps you manage it. If they deem you suitable for ESA treatment, they will write you an emotional support animal letter, which will be valid for one year. When your letter expires, you will need to have another consultation to have your ESA recertified.

When you receive your ESA letter, you will have certain protections under the law. Tenants cannot be prejudiced against by landlords with anti-pet regulations, as ESAs must be accommodated for and cannot be subject to restrictions such as size and weight. You also cannot be discriminated against by airlines who must allow you to fly along with your emotional support animal. They must do all they can to accommodate you and cannot legally stop you and your ESA from traveling together.

Telemedicine and emotional support animals pair perfectly together to give people the treatment they need much more easily.

The power of pairing telemedicine and emotional support animals is that it can connect you to a medical professional who really understands how ESAs work. There are some doctors who do not believe in the therapeutic power of these animals, despite clear evidence that they have a massive impact on their owners. If you live somewhere that has only a couple of options when it comes to medical advice, it can be difficult to get the specialized care and advice that you need. With telemedicine, you are instantly connected to professionals who are familiar with your needs and those of people like you, who will not judge you, and who want to help. The best thing is that you can access all of this from the comfort of your own home.

Telemedicine and emotional support animals are established therapies that are having their own renaissances, so it makes sense that they work perfectly together. With telemedicine, the power is with the patient and you will be taken seriously and listened to. Take your life back into your own hands and use telemedicine to get the best treatment available to you.

Telemedicine continues to make waves and to make the news. Many diverse groups have an interest in telemedicine, sometimes for very different reasons. For you, the consumer, the interest is obvious. How is telemedicine advancing and how is telemedicine relevant to you? Let’s take a look at some of the recent happenings in the world of telemedicine.

President Trump, while not always everyone’s favorite, seems to have come up “trumps” with his latest directive in helping to combat America’s growing opioid problem. He has effectively directed the HHS (Health & Human Services) to remove the embargo on prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine for patients with an opioid addiction. These substances include anti-addiction medicines such as naloxone. Three groups of patients will actually benefit from this important administrative change: those with addictions, children suffering from ADHD, and veterans with PTSD. These patients are all generally treated with a wide spectrum of controlled substances which, prior to this change in the law, were not able to be prescribed by telemedicine. Responding to the directive, the American Telemedicine Association’s President, Dr. Peter Yellowlees, observed: “Allowing physicians to prescribe controlled substances by telemedicine to treat patients with addictions, using medication assisted treatments, is a very positive move and one that will certainly help more patients to access high quality treatment.”

Remote management of chronic conditions is set to improve with increased access to telemedicine.

The Senate also recently passed the CHRONIC (Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic Care) Act. Designed to improve the health outcome for Medicare patients with chronic conditions, the bill includes many provisions for Medicare to broaden its usage of telemedicine and gives Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) more discretion in the use of telemedicine. Examples of these provisions include expanding the coverage of the remote diagnosis of a suspected stroke, and extending the geographical area where kidney dialysis patients can see their physician via a video call. A new provision is the Remote Patient Monitoring, which will particularly help older citizens suffering from chronic diseases. Medicare beneficiaries with one or more chronic conditions will have the choice to opt for monitoring at home, alongside their usual regular physician or specialist check-up. Another example of advances in telemedicine – this time aiding those who find any form of travel challenging.

The number of people benefiting from Medicare is expected to grow by 50% over the next 15 years. When you add in the fact that life expectancy will also increase, there will clearly be a growing demand for the monitoring and management of chronic illnesses. The more this can be achieved remotely, the less pressure there will be on an already over-burdened system. Sabrina Smith, interim Chief Executive Officer of the ATA, observed: “This is an important step in what ATA hopes will lead to additional federal action on telemedicine. We stand with those are committed to creating an accessible, responsive, and modern healthcare system.”

Medicare was again in the news recently when the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) released some new payment rules. As of the start of 2018, CMS will support all clinicians who provide remote monitoring tools – which include smart devices and wearables that can be used in the home – and who use patient-originated health data for the purposes of care management and co-ordination. Qualifying activities include sending medication reminders, collecting, monitoring, and reviewing patient physiological data and patient education. The initiative has been praised by the Connected Health Initiative (CHI). Executive Director, Morgan Reed, commented: “These new rules are an important step forward for America’s connected health innovators, doctors, and, most importantly, patients. CHI pushed for newly enacted rules that finally level the playing field for innovators, giving doctors and patients the chance to take advantage of the best technologies available.”

Veterans are some of the people benefiting from advances in telemedicine.

Elsewhere in recent telemedicine news, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs passed a bill that will allow veterans to be treated via telehealth no matter where they live. It’s part of a two-pronged effort to promote telemedicine services to veterans, particularly in rural areas. In a recent survey, almost 90% of veterans currently availing of telemedicine benefits said they were happy with the service they were getting. As the number of vets using telemedicine increases, so the number of hospital admissions decreases.

Early November saw a plea raised by a coalition of healthcare providers, schools, libraries, and health centers in relation to broadband expansion. The group is requesting that the House committee boosts the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Health Care (RHC) program, which is aimed at helping non-profit healthcare providers to access high-quality broadband connections in rural areas. They want the fund increased from $400 million annually to $800 million. Calling it a “life or death issue for rural America,” John Windhausen Jr., executive director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, stated in his letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee: “Rural communities that encounter a severe shortage of doctors, aging populations, and a greater distance to medical experts are in dire need of easily accessible telemedicine services. The RHC program has the power to elevate the health of these communities, but only if the program is revamped to promote rural broadband.”

These are just some of the important issues surrounding telemedicine that are making waves at the moment. Talking about telemedicine and keeping it in the news will benefit us all in the long-term and, ideally, in the short-term too.

Over the last decade or so, both telemedicine and medical cannabis have exploded in popularity and viability. To the average layperson, “telemedicine” and “medical marijuana” were relatively unknown terms until well into the noughties, but both are now buzzwords, firmly established in the lexicon and synonymous with forward-thinking, cutting-edge health care.

Telemedicine is the catch-all term for any patient/health care professional consultations done remotely using modern communications technology. Telemedicine has been made not only possible, but easy, by the advent of super-fast broadband and powerful smartphone and mobile device technology. Thanks to telemedicine, it is now possible to consult with a health care professional anywhere in the world in seconds from the comfort of your own home.

Medical cannabis has become the treatment du jour for many medical conditions. Its meteoric rise over the last decade has roughly (and coincidentally?) paralleled the rise of telemedicine over the last few years. Medical marijuana is now legal in almost half of US states. It is used to treat a wide range of conditions and symptoms, from chronic pain to insomnia to anxiety.

Telemedicine has made access to MMJ so much easier for so many patients.

The rise of telemedicine has obvious and massive advantages for medical cannabis patients. And the rise of medical marijuana has surely helped to facilitate and fuel the rise of telemedicine. In telemedicine and MMJ, we can witness two glorious (and initially separate) revolutions melding together and merging into one, big, beautiful “new world order.” Hallelujah!

Here are six ways that telemedicine has made medical marijuana patients’ lives a lot easier.

Telemedicine Does Away With the Need to Queue in the Doctor’s Waiting Room

Many people end up ill (or double-ill) as a result of the time they have to spend waiting in a germ-filled doctor’s waiting room. For many cannabis card-holding patients whose medical conditions may be chronic or psychological (and who may otherwise be totally healthy), catching a flu or stomach bug is hugely inconvenient, but thanks to telemedicine, it’s now also totally unnecessary. Doing your MMJ consultations via telemedicine means you can stay out of the doctor’s waiting room and away from the contagious germs of other people.

Telemedicine Allows Much Greater Choice of Which Doctor to Consult With

Not all physicians have cottoned on to the benefits of medical marijuana card usage. Some conservative “dinosaur doctors” still believe cannabis is for stoners and would rather prescribe liver-dissolving, depression-inducing, libido-sapping synthetic drugs to their patients instead of natural, healthy medical herb. If your local doctors are mostly of this ilk, telemedicine allows you to bypass them and connect with more forward-thinking physicians in cyberspace.

Telemedicine Provides Ease of Access For Patients Who Struggle With Mobility

For medical cannabis card holders who have conditions that involve chronic pain, stiffness, or a lack of mobility, or for patients who require the use of very strong, indica-dominant MMJ strains that result in “couch-lock,” getting to the doctor’s office can be very difficult. So for people in this situation, being able to consult with a doctor using telemedicine from the comfort of their own home is a godsend.

If you’re a medical marijuana patient, you’ll experience a whole range of benefits due to the rise of telemedicine.

Telemedicine Means Massive Time Savings

Many medical marijuana card holders lead hectic and busy lives, juggling young families with high-octane careers that require a ton of time, energy, and dedication. For these folks, time is an extremely rare and valuable resource. Wherever they can save time they will, and telemedicine allows them to do this in a big way by avoiding the hour-munching chore of driving to the doctor’s office, twiddling their thumbs in the waiting room queue, and then making small talk with their dithering old family doctor – and all of this before finally getting down to business! A telemedicine consultation is much faster than a conventional, in-person consultation, and so it can save a patient with a hectic schedule valuable time.

Telemedicine is Best For Emergency Prescriptions

There is nothing worse than running out of MMJ at an inopportune time (over the holidays, for example). If you need an MMJ prescription in a hurry, or at a time when the local doctor’s office is closed, then the best way to do this is to use telemedicine. Using telemedicine, you can consult with a physician at any time of the day or night and get that valuable prescription you need. Unfortunately this does not guarantee that the local dispensary will be open, but at least you’re halfway there!

Telemedicine is Ideal For Patients Who Live in a Remote Location

For cannabis card patients who live in the wilderness, far from any doctor’s office, telemedicine makes life a heck of a lot easier. Consulting with a physician via smartphone from the comfort of your own Appalachian log cabin is so much easier than jumping into your jeep (or two-seater seaplane) and making the long trek to the nearest urban settlement to consult with a doc face to face!

Modern technology has revolutionized our lives. With the advent of smartphones, we have access to a range of services in our pockets. Hungry? Order takeout via an app. Need your brows fixed or a quick mani/pedi? There’s definitely an app for that. We track our steps, monitor our diets, and interact with friends via the little machine in our handbags, but did you know that there’s a way to take mobile health care to the next step? Telemedicine is the next new frontier in health care.

While it’s been around for over a hundred years, telemedicine is having a contemporary renaissance thanks to mobile technology. Simply put, telemedicine is the diagnosing and treating of patients via telecommunications technology. It is empowering patients around the globe to seek excellent health care at a fraction of the cost and at far more convenience to them.

How can one access telemedicine? Luckily for patients, there are several options available. It is possible to sign up with certain services to avail of unlimited health care at a flat monthly fee. Other services charge per appointment but it is up to each patient to pick the option that works best for them. The best thing about telemedicine is that it is easy and convenient. Traditional doctors may often only see patients during office hours, which means that it can be difficult to schedule an appointment if you work a busy and demanding job. With telemedicine, you will be able to see a doctor as and when it suits you.

Most people have a smartphone these days – which means most people can benefit from the convenience of telemedicine!

While it may seem unorthodox, the process of a telemedical appointment is actually very simple. Depending on the service you choose, you will either make a pre-set appointment at a time that works best for you or hang out in a virtual waiting room until a doctor is ready to see you. When you’re both ready, you’ll begin a video or audio consultation where you’ll speak openly with your doctor about your issue, just as you would with an in-person doctor. Depending on the issue at hand, you will either finish your consultation with professional advice or you can ask your doctor to fax or email a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. No muss, no fuss, and everything is taken care of for you.

A benefit of telemedicine is that it is usually cheaper than traditional doctor’s visits. Increasingly, many insurance companies are also covering telemedical appointments, but this will depend on the specific plan that you have. In addition, if you are infirm, it is far easier to access a doctor via telemedicine than to leave the house, risking further injury, or to pay an extra fee for a doctor to visit your home.

One of the main ways that telemedicine is currently being used is for the female contraceptive pill. The nature of the contraceptive pill requires women to undergo a simple blood pressure check when they need their prescription renewed after six months. However, with telemedicine, this arduous process no longer exists. Women can fill out a simple survey online and then visit their pharmacist for the blood pressure check and then get their contraception.

Your pharmacist and telemedical professional can work together to make health care easier for you.

Another use of telemedicine comes in the form of counseling and therapy. While going to see a psychologist is necessary for many people in today’s stressful world, it is inaccessible to many due to the financial strain. However, there are now apps and websites that offer remote psychotherapy via phone calls, video chats, and instant messaging at reduced rates so that patients can access treatment as and when they need it. In this way, telemedicine is changing lives and making things far easier and convenient for patients.

The best thing to do if you’re thinking of beginning a journey on telemedicine is to pick a service that will allow you to keep all your medical records in one place. While you won’t always be able to see the same doctor, a centralized records system means that no matter which doctor you see, they will always have the correct information on hand from your past consultations to be able to offer you the best advice possible.

It may seem like telemedicine is a weird way to access medicine, but it truly is the way of the future. Why wouldn’t you pick an option that affords you flexibility and costs less? Telemedicine puts the power in the hands of the patient and removes the high cost of appointments and high stress that many patients face while visiting a traditional doctor’s clinic. The best thing to do is try it for yourself and see how it goes. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, with more money in your pocket and another app to add to your phone’s collection. What’s not to love?

Telemedicine is the perfect solution for patients with limited mobility who face many limitations in their lives. The advent of modern telecommunications technologies means that our lives are easier than ever to navigate. Everything we do can now be made more convenient through our smartphones. From ordering groceries to paying bills, it’s now easier than ever to manage our lives, so medicine is the next logical step. Patients are finding it much easier to manage their medical conditions and their associated treatments by using telemedicine to keep track of their medical records, see a doctor at a convenient time both inside of and outside of working hours, and receive medical and diagnostic advice in a comfortable environment.

Telemedicine is the combination of telecommunications technology with diagnostic and medical advice. It has been utilized since telecommunications technology was established but it is only now, with the advent of smartphones, that patients are truly getting the most they can out of telemedicine. With busier lives, doctors can no longer expect patients to fit in with their inflexible clinical hours or to travel long distances to clinics. While these observations are valid for patients without disabilities, telemedicine can truly revolutionize the lives of people with limited mobility.

If you have limited mobility, telemedicine is the perfect solution for your health care needs.

Limited mobility can be a result of many conditions and means that the sufferer is limited in how they can move and travel. It covers conditions such as paralysis and can be caused by trauma, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, obesity, and other conditions. People with limited mobility can often live happy and fulfilled lives but must make certain changes to their lifestyles in order to accommodate their disability. Using telemedicine is just another accommodation that makes things much easier for people with limited mobility.

Using telemedicine for medical advice means that people with limited mobility do not have to leave the house to access their doctor. While those with limited mobility do not have to be housebound and usually live full and active lives, the ability to be able to cut out an unnecessary doctor’s visit can be very helpful. By utilizing telemedicine, patients can speak to their doctors via the video chat function on their smartphones, meaning that they can be more comfortable in their surroundings. Being able to see a doctor from home was usually only reserved for the very ill or the very rich, but the advent of telemedicine today means that anyone can access this luxury as long as they have a smartphone.

Telemedical doctor’s appointments are conducted via a smartphone. You can either dial on and see a doctor immediately, or you may have to wait in a virtual waiting room. Once you have been connected to a doctor, you will use video chat to have your appointment. You’ll be surprised by how easily you’ll get used to this new process and how comfortable you will be in speaking to a doctor via your phone. You may actually find it easier to confide in a doctor via telemedicine as you aren’t there in person. Following your appointment, the doctor can send you for further testing at a hospital or pharmacy or can send your prescription directly to your pharmacy, which means it will be ready for you when you visit. This means you will face fewer delays when picking up your medication.

There’s nothing like the convenience of using your smartphone to liaise with your health care professional!

For people with limited mobility, the freedom of a telemedicine doctor can be liberating. It allows you to see a doctor at your own convenience, without the hassle of visiting a doctor’s surgery. For people with compromised immunity, it can also lessen the chance of picking up an opportunistic infection from another ill person at a doctor’s clinic, which means that you are less likely to require further hospitalization and disruption to your life.

Telemedicine also means that your medical records are more accessible to you. Usually in a traditional clinical setting, you have to request your records and have them sent to you or to another clinician that you wish to provide them to. Telemedicine providers usually associate your medical records with your profile on the website, where they can be accessed at any time. This means that you are more empowered to manage your medical care and you have all information relating to your medical history at your fingertips.

Telemedicine is the ideal solution for anyone with limited mobility. You will feel like you’re taking control of your medical treatment in a way that lets you mold your medical care around your life instead of the other way around. Your time is precious and shouldn’t be wasted in waiting rooms. Patients should not be at the mercy of doctors, so take back control by making use of telemedicine!

Telemedicine – and in particular, telemedicine apps – is currently a hot topic in the field of smartphones. Digital technology has allowed this once-outlier treatment plan to enter the mainstream, and it’s growing exponentially month to month. People all over the U.S. are benefitting from digital access to clinical consultations with their doctors; the telemedicine movement is bringing equal opportunity health care to all areas of the county, including those rural regions which were previously neglected or didn’t have convenient access to primary care physicians or specialists.

Much of the telemedicine revolution has been spearheaded by the continuing development of the smartphone, which has gone from strength to strength in the last decade. Much of our lives are now channeled through our phones, specifically apps, and telemedicine is no different. Telemedicine apps are key to changing the health care landscape for all Americans, providing cheaper and better quality access to treatments and medicine. But there are a lot of apps out there; the name of the game when it comes to app development is competition, and the health care sector is no different. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of five telemedicine apps that you definitely need on your phone!

MDLIVE

MDLIVE is the perfect example of smartphone telemedicine in action. It provides a 24-hour communication line to doctors, which means you can avail of instantaneous medical advice; you can connect with a doctor in about fifteen minutes or less. You can seek treatment for all types of conditions, from physical afflictions to mental disabilities. Wherever you are in the world, as long as you have your phone with you, you’re able to get certified medical advice in no time at all.

If you have a smartphone – and who doesn’t these days? – all the benefits of telemedicine are available to you.

PingMD

While MDLIVE is perfect for broad medical advice on a range of subjects, PingMD is perfect for firing off concerns to your doctor and keeping a medical record of your chronic conditions. You can send text, pictures, or videos to your doctor, who then respond directly or forward your concern onto a colleague or someone else who’s informed in their network. Every “ping” you send to your doctor is logged in your digital medical record, which makes it extremely easy for medical staff to check up on your specific condition to date, and see if it’s something that can be handled over telemedicine communications, or if you need to come in for a visit. Also, PingMD is free for patients, and currently has over 10,000 doctors availing of its service on the other side of the table.

HelloMD

HelloMD‘s focus isn’t on immediate care; instead it endeavors to find you the perfect specialist for your specific condition. It’s the perfect app for tracking down the ideal specialist for your extremely specific condition, or one that requires a niche point of view. Although HelloMD isn’t an instantaneous as some other telemedicine services, it’s usually possible to get an appointment within 24 hours. This appointment can also be facilitated through telemedicine, which speaks to one of the major positives of the service; access to some of the best specialists the country has to offer, without the usual wait times or travel issues. Appointments with specialists are notoriously slow to set up, but with telemedicine, it can be a timely, painless process. You can also utilise HelloMD for second opinions from previous appointments. The app itself is free, but doctors will set their own rates, dependent on their consultation. You can hook your credit card up to it and pay via that for each meeting.

With so many useful telemedicine apps available, the face of health care in the U.S. is being revolutionized for the better.

HealthTap

HealthTap is the perfect app to answer any confounding questions you might have about a very specific problem. It’s an app that gives you access to a database of over 50,000 doctors and dentists from across the world for peer-checked responses for a whole variety of medical queries. Google searching symptoms is never a good idea, as the overload of information available online can lead to added stress and anxiety; very few of the opinions out there on the internet are informed, and uninformed diagnoses can be very dangerous indeed. Googling your symptoms will become a thing of the past with HealthTap. You can have a whole wealth of certified knowledge at your fingertips, 24 hours a day.

Pillpack

Telemedicine is excellent for prescribing online medication. Sites like MMJ Recs and Moosh are able to prescribe therapeutic, progressive new medicine like medical marijuana and emotional support animals over the internet with little or no hassle to the patient. Pillpack does the same thing; it’s a prescription-by-mail service that puts your medication into time and date-stamped packs that tell you the order in which you should take them. It also aligns with your health care provider to ensure your prescriptions are automatically renewed a month before your prescription runs out. The only additional charge to the usual price of medication is the shipping fee.

You may not have heard of the term “telemedicine” before, but there’s a chance you might already be actively involved in it. Essentially, telemedicine describes the use of telecommunication and digital technology to provide clinical health care from a distance, i.e. not a regular face-to-face clinical visit that people are traditionally used to when they go and see a doctor. It started as a fringe service in the late 1960s and was first introduced in Massachusetts General Hospital by Kenneth Bird, originally to solve the patient backlog of employees and travelers at Logan International Airport, which was located three congested miles away from MGH. This primitive version of telemedicine incorporated a two-way audio-visual microwave circuit and treated over 1,000 patients.

These days, telemedicine is an entirely different ballgame. The advent of digital technology has spurred the movement on over the last ten years, and as it stands in 2018, we are on the cusp of telemedicine becoming a major factor in the vast and crowded arena of health care. From audio-visual microwaves, the format of communication switched to telephones, the first system of which was operational in 1989, and then finally digital communications, which include smartphones, tablets, laptops, and any other device that utilizes digital technology.

Digital communications technology has advanced medicine in more ways than many can imagine.

For most people, the word “telemedicine” might sound intimidating or foreign; the question soon becomes “How does it affect me?” In truth, the question you should be asking yourself is “How does it benefit me?”, as telemedicine comes complete with a whole range of advantages for patients and doctors alike. The main benefit is unchanged from the initial need to introduce the concept into the health care system: remote treatments. This doesn’t mean a literal treatment by remote control (though we might get there someday) – it means giving medical professionals the means to treat patients who are far away from them. These include patients who live in rural areas, where a trip to the doctor’s office is a mammoth operation, or those who are physically or mentally incapacitated, and because of the status of their condition, can’t leave the house.

This is of great benefit to both doctors and the patients that they treat. Patients can get seen to without wasting their entire day, while doctors can consult with more patients during the day than they normally would if they were seeing them in person. Another benefit of telemedicine is a wider access to specialists; previously, people who lived in remote areas were referred to whichever specialist happened to be close to them, whether they had a good reputation or not. Telemedicine gives patents the freedom to select a specialist who suits them best, whether they live in the countryside or the city. It puts more power in the hands of the patients, who often communally complain of being disenfranchised with the U.S. health care system.

Another advantage of telemedicine is the ability to avail of certain medications or services online. If you’re handicapped and can’t physically leave the house without specific provisions, then you can avail of benefits like a handicap parking permit from Dr. Handicap from the comfort of your own home. This removes the catch-22 situation of having to drive somewhere to pick up the permit in the first place. Another increasing trend in the health care system is the use of medical marijuana to treat all manner of diseases and conditions. If you live in one of the 29 states that has legalized medical marijuana, then through a site like MMJ Recs, you can easily be prescribed a medical marijuana identification card, which will legally allow you to avail of the medicine at local dispensaries.

There are so many benefits to telemedicine, both for patients and medical professionals.

Telemedicine also allows doctors to keep track of patients remotely and have the results of certain tests uploaded to them digitally. This removes the need for patients to stay in hospitals overnight for certain exams, freeing up hospital space for more intensive patients, and also allows doctors to get far more accurate results than they might if they were simply consulting with the patient for fifteen minutes. But despite all these advantages, the single biggest benefit of telemedicine for those in the modern age is the fact that it is immediate. Every single service or industry in our world is moving towards an on-demand system; we’ve seen Netflix practically extinguish traditional television format, and WhatsApp and other social messengers lay waste to old school telephone calls.

Telemedicine is aiming to do the same thing with traditional health care methods. Doing so will take more time and a more revolutionized approach than other industries, as the intricacies of health care are more nuanced. But the end result will be a better service and treatment for everyone involved, on both sides of the line. Taxpayers’ and patients’ money will be saved and better spent, while the quality of treatment will continue to increase as telemedicine becomes more prevalent. All in all, telemedicine will affect you, the potential patient, positively across the whole health care spectrum; it’s time to embrace the future!

Technology impacts our lives in so many ways, and in no way is that more evident than in the world of health care. Telemedicine is a continually growing field in which electronic communication and software are used in the treatment of medical issues. Telemedicine in 2018 is definitely going to demonstrate how health care professionals and their patients can further use technology to improve medical care.

Telemedicine is currently being used in many different capacities, including communication between doctors and patients for follow-up visits and medication management, consultations with specialists, and other coordination of care efforts that can be done through email, live-chats, or video conversations. There are countless benefits to telemedicine for patients – everything from no travel expenses to visit a doctor’s office and less time away from work, to limiting exposure to other contagious patients. Read on for information on how telemedicine in 2018 is changing the health care world.

Changes in how patients are interacting with health care professionals

Originally, telemedicine was primarily used for patients living in rural areas to get additional medical attention. However, more and more patients are using telemedicine to help them get the medical care they need without disrupting their busy lives. Even if you live in an urban area, you can skip traveling to a doctor’s office or hospital and bypass the time you spend in a waiting room. With telemedicine, there are easier and more convenient ways to communicate with your doctor.

Patients living in rural areas can get proper care

In the past, individuals residing in rural areas far from doctor’s offices or hospitals faced limited treatment options. With telemedicine in 2018, patients can get consultations and diagnoses from the comfort of their homes. They have increased treatment options because they can get treated by specific specialists who would not otherwise be accessible to them. Plus, they can get proper aftercare and help with disease management by communicating remotely with health care professionals. Patients who don’t have access to a medical professional can still get services they need (like obtaining a handicap parking permit through a telemedicine website like Dr. Handicap).

The advancement of telemedicine in 2018 will provide benefits to patients and health care professionals alike.

Increased access to specialists and coordination of care

Individuals who don’t have immediate access to specialists can find the perfect doctor to treat them by using telemedicine options. Whether they need assistance treating a rare condition or are located far away from a specialist they need, telemedicine can assist in helping them get the proper care. Telemedicine can also help their whole team of doctors to coordinate their care (including determining what tests they might need or which medications they should try) with online communication. This increased communication between doctors can greatly help improve treatment.

Assist patients in better health care management

It can be challenging for people to manage their health. If they have any chronic conditions or are trying to obtain a healthy lifestyle, it can be difficult to take on these things by themselves. However, with telemedicine in 2018, doctors can help set up a plan to reach their goals if they don’t have the ability to make frequent office visits. Communicating with their doctor through telemedicine can help with everything from losing weight and quitting smoking to monitoring blood pressure and keeping track of symptoms. Sharing information with their doctor through email can help them track their progress and get instant advice if they have questions.

Additionally, there is another aspect of telemedicine that can help an individual improve their health. There are mobile technology options (like apps or software) that can assist patients in monitoring their vitals or logging exercise, as well as helping them remember to refill prescriptions or keep track of any upcoming appointments. These telemedicine options offer more control and increased options for better management of their health.

Help with rehabilitation

Patients can often find it difficult to recover if they require rehabilitation. If patients live far away from medical facilities, they can feel like they’re facing the rehabilitation process alone. However, with telemedicine, patients can follow up with their doctors or therapists remotely, while still receiving the treatment they need. Telemedicine can also assist in providing patients with online support groups, advice from other health care professionals, and help monitoring their progress.

Patient data is instantly and easily available when using telemedicine, improving processes for all involved.

Provide nurses with assistance

Telemedicine also provides the health care community with added benefits. This type of technology can help nurses or doctors monitor patients while they’re attending to other individuals. Patient data is instantly available (like doctor’s notes, lab results, etc.), and they have the option of using cameras to assess patients even if they’re not in the same room. This literally helps the medical professionals be in two places at once! Telemedicine in 2018 will also help with a shortage of staff. Specialists can treat more patients, since they can be seen and communicated with remotely.

Reduced health care costs

Another major benefit of telemedicine is a reduction in health care costs (for everyone – including patients, doctors, employers, and insurance companies). Patients can avoid costly check-ups or diagnosis of simple health conditions, because doctors can diagnose and offer treatment recommendations remotely. Employers don’t have to worry about their workers taking time off to drive to a doctor’s appointment. Plus, hospitals can release patients who can go home because they can monitor their progress remotely. Studies have shown that telemedicine technologies can save costs with lower admissions to the hospital, shorter stays in the hospital, and help in improving chronic conditions.

Telemedicine is definitely the future of health care. With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder this is such a growing field. Consider inquiring with your doctor or insurance company about how using telemedicine in 2018 can help make your life easier.

Many people in the United States require the use of handicap parking spaces, and thanks to modern technology, getting a disabled parking permit with the aid of telemedicine is now simpler than ever before. Telemedicine is truly revolutionizing access to handicap parking permits.

“Telemedicine” is the word used to describe any type of medicine done from a distance using modern mobile technology. More and more members of the medical profession are offering their services to patients remotely using video links, Skype, and phone communication. Using powerful computer technology that is now available to everybody in the form of modern smartphones, laptops, mobile devices, and tablets, it is now easy for a doctor to communicate quickly, efficiently, and safely with a patient, even transmitting health informatics data and images over long distances instantaneously.

There are potentially millions of American citizens who qualify for disabled parking space permits. Parking permits are available for people who require them in all 52 states. But many people whose lives would be made much easier by the use of a handicap parking permit do not realize that they qualify for one, and so they go through unnecessary toil and struggle without one – often for years and years. It is an unfortunate situation, but one that telemedicine is going a great distance towards fixing.

Getting a disabled parking permit has been made much easier over recent years thanks to the advent of telemedicine.

The qualifying conditions for a getting a disabled parking permit vary from state to state. But they vary only slightly, and there are a host of health conditions that qualify a patient for a handicap driving permit in all US states.

The health conditions that qualify a patient in every state are: heart disease; arthritis; significant obesity; respiratory problems such as lung disease or emphysema; any illness that requires the use of a portable oxygen tank; bad eyesight or hearing; any chronic inflammatory disease (such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus); being an amputee; suffering from an acute sensitivity to sunlight that leads to a blistering or burning of the skin; having any injury or condition that means a person cannot walk a certain (state-decided) distance without needing to stop for a rest; and simply requiring the use of a Zimmer frame, walking stick, cane, crutches, or wheelchair to get around.

If you have any of these conditions, you are probably entitled to a handicap parking permit, no matter what state you live in.

To go about getting a disabled parking permit, you first need to have a consultation with a health care practitioner and obtain a letter stating that you require a parking permit. A letter from a doctor, physician, nurse, doctor’s assistant, optometrist or other type of health care professional will do the trick. Once you have your disabled parking permit letter, you fill in an application form and send the form and letter to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

An obvious problem that many people face is that most of the qualifying health conditions and disabilities make mobility difficult, and so getting to the doctor’s office in the first place can be quite an ordeal. This is where telemedicine comes in extremely handy.

Using telemedicine, a patient can do their consultation online or over the phone with a registered health care professional. The health care professional can then issue them with a letter of recommendation. This is very good news for patients who are immobile, because it means that getting a disabled parking permit is possible without leaving the comfort of their own home.

Thanks to telemedicine, there’s no longer a need for patients to travel great distances for treatment or consultation!

But immobility is not the only reason why using telemedicine is a far easier way for many patients to gain access to life-enhancing handicap parking permits. If a patient needs a disabled parking permit in a hurry, or if they just have busy lives and need to save as much time as possible, then doing their parking permit consultation using telemedicine is hugely helpful. The whole process is much less time-consuming when done using remote technology.

If a patient lives in an area with a very limited selection of health care professionals (or the available professionals have very long waiting lists), then by using telemedicine they immediately gain access to many more health care provider options. They can now consult with doctors or physicians from different areas, giving themselves a far wider selection to choose from.

Telemedicine makes it remarkably easy for people who live in very remote areas to do a consultation in only a few minutes (whereas in the past it would have required many hours of grueling travel). This is a luxury that folks who live in the deep desert or Alaskan wilds are certainly not used to, but it is improving their lives no end!

It is fair to say that telemedicine is revolutionizing access to handicap parking permits, and in the process, making life a little bit easier for a great many people who deserve a little helping hand!