American Well Offers Remote Physical Monitoring for Telemedicine Visits

Routine telemedicine visits at the present time are usually restricted to low-intensity patients with the exception of telemedicine as it relates to"remote ICUs" (see:Remote ICUs). Here is a description ofremote ICUs from this article:Telemedicine is most commonly used in one-on-one scenarios between a physician and a patient or between two physicians. Increasingly, however, remote ICU ’s are being implemented to help extend the range of intensivists, as well as allow them to monitor multiple patients in multiple facilities.By utilizing advanced medical imaging, video conferencing, and computer software technology, specialists can effectively monitor a larger group of intensive care patients, and consult with on-site nurses and physicians when hands-on care becomes necessary. Remote ICUs have resulted in a number of positive outcomes, including decreased patient mortality, shorter ICU stays, and rapid return on investment for hospitals.Because the technology has existed for years for sophisticated remote monitoring of critical care patients, I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before it becomes cost-effective to assess vital signs and more during"routine" patient televisits. I use the word routine here to indicate that the range of ambulatory patients who can be served by telemedicine is about to greatly expand. A recent article discussed howAmerican Well, a major vendor of telemedicine software, is i...
Source: Lab Soft News - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Healthcare Delivery Healthcare Information Technology Medical Consumerism Medical Education Public Health Informatics Telemedicine Source Type: blogs