Telemedicine is charging ahead in the healthcare industry. The AMA Wire reported on telehealth discussions from the 2017 AMA State Legislative Strategy Conference in Amelia Island, Fla., held Jan. 5 through Jan. 7, 2017.
Of 1,325 physicians, 17 percent reported they already provide telemedicine and 21 percent said they plan to use it soon, based on a MGMA Stat survey.
In 2003, Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center launched a telehealth program, connecting rural hospitals emergency rooms to UMMC's Level 1 trauma center. The program took off in the first two years, then expanding to other specialties and areas in the state. Today, the Center for Telehealth offers services in more than 30 specialties for more than 200 clinical sites.
UMMC's Center for Telehealth administrator Michael Adcock views telehealth as a necessity at this stage in the game. He notes partnerships with health systems and providers allowed the university's telehealth program to expand.
Kofi Jones, principal and owner of healthcare consulting firm KJ Health Matters, commented that telemedicine must evolve out of its '1.0 phase' into its '2.0 phase.' Rather than focusing on just urgent care, she sees potential in telemedicine impacting chronic care management.