Telemedicine

Infectious disease eConsultation was associated with decreased 30-day mortality and hospital readmissions in a study conducted at two rural hospitals.

A cancer diagnosis in young adulthood can be challenging not only in the complicated emotions it engenders, but also in the logistical obstacles it presents for patients in the prime of their lives.

WASHINGTON — The use of telemedicine has improved access to care for patients in rural areas while saving millions of dollars in travel expenses. However, insurance coverage of telemedicine services remains an issue, and some physicians have concerns about treating patients during virtual care visits rather than in the clinic, according to several panelists at a recent conference about the future of health care.

HOUSTON — Although most patients with allergy are receptive to the idea of telemedicine, some allergy practitioners are not, according to several presentations at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.

The Association of Community Cancer Centers presented its ACCC Innovator Awards to seven member programs.

In skin cancer diagnosis, teledermatology has a sensitivity greater than 90% and a specificity greater than 80% compared with direct referral from primary care, according to a retrospective study.

SAN ANTONIO — There are four key elements to success in creating a specialty-centered medical home – smart medicine, meeting unmet needs, team ‘buy-in’ and long-haul cooperation with insurance and institution – according to an expert at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting 2019.

PHILADELPHIA — The Virtual Visits and Heart Failure Care Transition, or ViV-HF, trial proved the feasibility of substituting inpatient visits with virtual visits for patients transitioning from hospital to home after hospitalization for HF, according to findings presented at the Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting.

An antimicrobial stewardship program implemented via telehealth at a community hospital in western Pennsylvania decreased broad-spectrum antibiotic use, increased infectious diseases consultations and lowered costs associated with antimicrobial therapy.

Video telemedicine, when it is offered, is more likely to be used by patients with rheumatoid arthritis who demonstrate higher disease activity, have more positive perceptions of the technology and whose physicians have used it more often, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.