Telemedicine will improve healthcare

Technology has the ability to bridge the longest of distances. Most recently, the focus is in the hospital room and not in cyberspace: Remote presence robots allow physicians to “beam” into hospitals to diagnose and treat patients. Though the new approach might seem impersonal, the increase in efficiency and cost make the innovation worthy of praise.

The Associated Press recently reported that nearly 1,000 hospitals in the United States and abroad have installed InTouch telemedicine devices. In addition, 50 RP-VITA robots were launched this past May. The mobile video conferencing machine moves on wheels and stands 5 feet tall, complete with a large screen projecting the doctor’s face. Developed by InTouch Health and iRobot Corp., this innovation is the first Food and Drug Administration-cleared telemedicine robot that combines telecommunications with AutoDrive technology.

Today, remote presence robots allow physicians to “beam” into hospitals to diagnose and treat patients. Though the new approach might seem impersonal, the increase in efficiency and cost make the innovation worthy of praise.

Though the $5,000 per month price tag to rent a robot seems a bit hefty, the investment is actually very cost-effective. Virtual consultations allow for high-tech monitoring without patients having to leave their homes and makes patient are less expensive. In considering the impending  health care overhaul, many hospitals have prioritized cutting costs wherever possible. Telemedicine is continually transforming the delivery of health care, and might be the long sought-after solution to helping patients with transportation or mobility issues access primary care providers as well as helping to remedy the shortage of physicians. Anywhere, anytime, providers can now become involved proactively with the well-being of their patients. It’s not a bad deal, considering the many positive consequences financially and efficiency-wise.

As many are quick to point out, however, robots tend to give a cold and distant impression. Though the technology seems impersonal, patients have claimed that it feels as though the doctors are right there in the room. I think we can all agree on the fact that telemedicine cannot equate to an in-person doctor visit — nothing can replace meeting the patient up close and in person, but robotic technology can be a good substitute.

Nevertheless, there is always a time and place for such technological advances. With telemedicine, situations in which doctor-patient meet-ups seemed improbable simply because of distance or now become doable. U.S. News reported that health care company Mercy Health, after beginning to use telemedicine in 2006, has since reduced mortality rates in its intensive care unit to 20 percent below the expected level as well as reduced patients’ lengths of stay by 30 percent.

When in-person meetings between physicians and patients might not always be plausible, telemedicine has made virtual appointments the next best thing. A remote doctor-patient discussion is better than no consultation at all, and this future of revolutionized delivery of care will both decrease the cost of healthcare and better the efficiency of delivery. For now, this seems to be a win-win situation that should spread throughout the field and allow more people to be treated, anywhere, anytime — after all, that is the motto of the digital age.

 

Valerie Yu is a sophomore majoring in  biological sciences and English. Her column “Heart of the Matter” runs Tuesdays.

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