BUSINESS connections Winter 2022 3 Telemedicine Rises to the Occasion From space missions to the pandemic, it delivers healthcare You may think of telemedicine as a relatively new practice, but the concept of home-based medical care was mentioned as early as 1879 in a medical journal article about using the telephone to reduce unnecessary office visits. In 1925, doctors were diagnosing patients via radio, and the first video communication for medical purposes was between patients and clinicians at the University of Nebraska in 1959. Telemedicine technology started to become more comprehensive in the late 1960s due to the needs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Before humans were even sent into space, NASA used medical systems to monitor the biometric data of space-exploring animals and send it back to Earth. Later, similar systems were used to monitor the condition of humans on space missions and provide diagnoses during medical emergencies. Physicians can now remotely treat astronauts. For example, one machine uses ultrasound technology to help stop internal bleeding. While telemedicine continued to evolve in recent decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its widespread adoption due to the need for healthcare delivery despite social distancing. Telemedicine is a safe and flexible way to expand access to many services as well as reach traditionally underserved populations such as those in rural areas. Some of today’s most common applications of telemedicine include: • Remote follow-up visits following a hospitalization • Chronic disease management • Hyper-specialty care • Team-based medicine • Virtual second opinions • Mental health services • Support for weight loss and smoking cessation According to 2021 research by global management firm McKinsey & Company, telemedicine is utilized for 13% to 17% of U.S. patient visits across all specialties. Thanks to telemedicine’s convenience, patients don’t need to take as much time off from work, and they have fewer travel expenses to-and-from doctor visits. Telemedicine also benefits healthcare providers due to fewer missed appointments and cancellations, and better patient follow-through. An essential component of telemedicine is high-speed fiber broadband for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers. This is because the technology relies on low-latency connectivity to work optimally. Information also needs to move quickly and securely from mobile devices to be stored as data in electronic health records. Complex images—such as X-rays and CT scans—must be transmitted, stored, and easily accessed to make diagnoses. Rainbow is dedicated to ensuring that healthcare providers—as well as our customers in other fields— have access to the Rainbow Fiber-Optic Network. Call 800-892-0163 to learn more. Source: www.singlecare.com/blog/news/telehealth-statistics
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