Marisa Fernandez October 9, 2019
More doctors
are linking up with companies that allow them to treat patients via text or
online chat, AP reports.
Why it matters: Texting
provides a convenience even video chats can't provide, but there are limits to
how much a doctor can help without seeing a patient at all.
The state of
play: For millions of Americans, chats have a chance to limit
expensive emergency room visits, improve care access and encourage more
patients to keep tabs on their health.
- Health Affairs published
a survey in 2018 from the American Medical Association that found a small
number of physicians (about 15%) have used telemedicine.
- Still, the companies
that primarily provide the services, CirrusMD, 98point6 and K Health, are
increasingly going mainstream.
- Walmart’s Sam’s Club,
for instance, announced in September that 98point6 visits are included in
a care program it's testing, per AP.
No comments:
Post a Comment