Walgreens, local programs expand
Walgreens will allow millions of people across the country to see their doctors remotely with online visits — a virtual type of health care that hospitals have already started to adopt.
The drug store chain and telehealth provider MDLIVE recently announced they will expand their virtual program, launched in December, and Walgreens smartphone application for patients and doctors will be available in 25 states by the end of the year.
“It’s a big thing for the future,” said Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief of geriatrics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “I think it’s an idea that’s really going to take off. ... If you can substitute it for an office visit, it’s good for everybody.”
Salamon is one of the specialists at Beth Israel who provide consultations to retirement homes across New England through a telemedicine program called ECHO-AGE.
The doctors involved in the program — geriatric experts, neurologists and psychiatrists — have regular visits with elderly patients who need medical help from specialists, but can’t easily get around.
Salamon said that even with some of her local patients, it’s easier just to see a picture of whatever is ailing them and prescribe the medication they need without an in-person visit.
“If you can look at the patient, a picture is worth a thousand words,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not the same as actually examining them, but sometimes it is.”
Massachusetts General Hospital is also moving toward a more high-tech form of health care, and offered virtual visits to blizzard-bound patients during this year’s brutal winter.
UMass Memorial Health Care is launching a program to increase its telehealth presence, upping its investment from $8 million to $15 million.
The American Telemedicine Association estimates that about 450,000 patients will see a doctor through the Internet this year for a primary care consultation. That’s a small slice of the roughly 15 million people who will have care delivered by telemedicine, which has mostly been used by specialist doctors. But the primary care portion has probably doubled over the past couple years, said Jon Linkous, CEO of the nonprofit association.
“I would say without a doubt it’s the fastest area of growth in telemedicine,” he said. “There’s this convenience factor that makes it so compelling to consumers.”
The Walgreens app is available in both iOS and Android versions, and users can access doctors at any time of day or night for $49 per visit.
Adam Pellegrini, Walgreens divisional vice president of digital health, said in a statement that society “truly values anytime, anywhere convenience,” and that telehealth helps “improve patient outcomes.”
Doctors say one of the challenges is getting insurance providers to cover online care, but some insurers have started to address the issue.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. recently began covering virtual visits for some people with health plans through employers, and has said it would be expanding coverage next year.
Anthem Inc.’s offers its own service, LiveHealth Online, which was started two years ago and has expanded into 44 states.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Lindsay Kalter
Quelle/Source: Boston Herald, 14.06.2015
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