When Covid-19 struck the United States earlier this year, telemedicine proved life-saving, facilitating safe and effective patient care from afar and helping physicians pool their resources at a time when the virus strained the healthcare system.
But after Covid-19 was declared a national health emergency in March, the federal government relaxed regulations out of necessity, enabling wider implementation and opening the floodgates of innovation. Medicare began compensating physicians for a broader range of telehealth services. Meanwhile, enforcement of certain HIPAA restrictions were effectively waived, allowing doctors to treat patients and prescribe medication through their screens.
“Imagine a coronary patient returns home, and they have to maintain certain lifestyle changes and medication in order to progress their health,” says Allen. Collecting data from weight scales and blood pressure gives a physician the insight they need to adjust care and monitor compliance, without calling the patient back into the hospital.
AI-and edge-powered telemedicine has also made it possible for doctors and hospitals to collaborate with one another in new ways, pooling resources at critical times. Telemedicine, he says, will impact every field of healthcare. In the not-too-distant future, for example, psychiatric care teams may use AI-embedded, high-definition video conferencing to analyze patients’ facial cues for a better understanding of their moment-to-moment emotional states.
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