03/10/2010
One of the largest insurers in Western New York has announced plans to introduce a service allowing patients to consult online with physicians 24 hours a day. HealthNow New York said it intends to expand the service to the entire state by 2011. Buffalo News et al.
03/05/2010
The Federal Communications Commission grants are part of an expansion of its Rural Health Pilot Program and will fund 16 telehealth projects aimed at establishing regional broadband networks in 17 states. FCC also has given projects another year to select vendors. Federal Computer Week.
02/24/2010
The Mayo Clinic is working with GE Healthcare and Intel on a two-year project designed to measure whether use of a home monitoring system cuts costs and eliminates unnecessary emergency department visits for patients with chronic diseases. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal et al.
02/22/2010
The Federal Communications Commission called for increased support for telemedicine initiatives when the agency released an update on its national broadband plan last week. The update calls for federal officials to conduct pilot programs, increase reimbursements for telemedicine services and promote interoperability between health care entities. Federal Computer Week, PC Magazine.
02/18/2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to more than double current funding levels for its home telehealth program during the next two years. The program, which currently serves 35,000 patients, is the largest of its kind in the world. Federal Computer Week.
02/09/2010
The University of California-Irvine is preparing to unveil a telemedicine training center as part of its new medical education building. The facility includes an interactive videoconferencing center, a clinical simulations laboratory and a clinical skills center. Healthcare IT News.
02/09/2010
U.S. physicians plan to use telemedicine technology to help deliver
health care to Haiti residents after foreign medical volunteers leave the
country. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the U.S.
military’s Southern Command are preparing to launch telemedicine efforts. New
York Times.
02/05/2010
As part of the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband initiative, the agency plans to promote wireless technologies that could improve health care. Officials say the agency will examine health IT applications that use broadband technologies, such as electronic health record systems, videoconferencing tools and remote monitoring systems. Government Health IT.
02/04/2010
A new survey from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics finds that more than half of U.S. adults use the Internet to research health information. Fewer Americans went online to e-mail physicians, refill prescriptions or schedule medical appointments. Researchers also found that women were more likely than men to use the Internet for health-related purposes. Reuters, MedPage Today.
02/04/2010
A new start-up firm is hoping to replicate the Twitter model by using text messages to let people ask questions of a large group of physicians. The service, Truth On Call, currently is available to the media, health care industry and financial firms, and will open to patients in the coming months. New York Times' "Bits."
02/04/2010
Pregnant women can sign up for the "text4baby" program to receive weekly text messages that align with their due date. The messages will offer information on birth defects, immunizations, mental health and nutrition. The Hill's "Hillicon Valley," AP/San Jose Mercury News.
02/03/2010
The pediatric intensive care unit at MassGeneral Hospital for Children is using portable telemedicine units in the department to link up with videoconferencing units installed in the homes of PICU physicians. A department leader says the tools have improved care. Healthcare IT News.
01/21/2010
People are starting to seek out virtual consultations to obtain advice and price quotes about cosmetic surgery and other procedures. However, critics note that the trend raises concerns about the legality of cross-border care and the security of transmitted data. New York Times.
01/19/2010
Cisco Systems is partnering with Molina Healthcare, two community clinics and the state of California for a telehealth pilot program designed to boost health care access for underserved communities. The program will operate at 15 sites statewide. Sacramento Business Journal et al.
01/08/2010
New York Times columnist Pauline Chen writes that despite the potential benefits of telemedicine, physicians have been reluctant to embrace the technology because of concerns that telemedicine will have a negative effect on the doctor-patient relationship. New York Times.