Page 3 Unlocking The Potential of Physician to Patient Telehealth Services The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

their medical records and communicating with the doctor in real time via video
conferencing.

 “Store-and-forward” services: Health care providers analyze clinical data after they
have been collected using asynchronous communications tools such as email. For
example, teleradiologists may interpret radiological images or ophthalmologists
may read retinal images that are sent to them from another facility.

 Remote monitoring services: Health care providers use IT to remotely monitor
and collect data on the health of patients while in their residence or care facility.
For example, remote monitoring has helped reduce mortality and hospital
readmissions in patients with congestive heart failure. In one study, patients who
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used in-home monitoring to track indicators such as their weight, blood pressure,
and heart rate, had hospital readmission rates that were 44 percent lower than
those receiving standard care.
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Telehealth represents an opportunity to not only improve clinical encounters, but also the
entire patient experience. Using telehealth services, patients wanting to see a provider will
be able to go online, perhaps to a website provided by their health insurer, and quickly find
physicians who can see them immediately. Patients will have the opportunity to review the
profiles of the physicians, including their medical degrees, board certifications, and patient
ratings. Once patients choose a provider, they will be able to make their electronic health
records available to the physician. The patient will then be immediately connected to their
physician (see Figure 1). After the encounter, physicians will send any prescriptions
electronically to the patient’s preferred pharmacy and add clinical notes to the patient’s
electronic health record. Payment will be handled automatically, and patients will be able
to leave feedback for other users.

Adoption of telehealth in the United States is still relatively low, although demand appears
to be high. The Pew Internet and American Life survey found in 2013 that a majority (59
percent) of U.S. adults has looked online for health information in the past year. When
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asked what they did the last time they were sick, 70 percent of individuals responded they
sought treatment or information from a healthcare provider; however, only a small fraction
of those individuals used telehealth services. Only 1 percent of all respondents reported
exclusively receiving care or information from a physician or other health care provider
online; 8 percent reported receiving care from a health care professional both online and
offline.
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THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION | MAY 2014 PAGE 3