Telemedicine Improves Patient Outcomes: Study

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Telemedicine technology is a hot commodity these days — but is it actually effective in improving patient outcomes? Researchers at UC Davis Children’s Hospital say it is.

Researchers found telemedicine consults significantly improved outcomes for patients treated in rural pediatric emergency departments that lack pediatric specialists. They also found a physician was more likely to adjust the patient’s diagnosis and course of treatment after a face-to-face video conference with a specialist.

“Telemedicine is going to be the future,” said Madan Dharmar, an assistant research professor in UC Davis’s pediatric telemedicine program and the study’s lead author. “The shortage of physicians in rural communities isn’t going to be solved by increasing the number of physicians, but by increasing the number of physicians available over telemedicine.”

Source: InformationWeek Healthcare (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Health Care