More than Half of Pediatric ER Visits Could be Handled with Telemedicine
January 7th, 2009
“Nearly 28 percent of all visits to a pediatric emergency department (ED) could have been avoided through use of telemedicine, and an equal number stood a good chance of also being treated in that manner, according to a report from University of Rochester Medical Center.”
I think that this study can be extended to other specialties as well. Of course, the percentage of visits that can be handled through telemedicine may slightly vary from one specialty to another, but the conclusion to draw here is that there are cases where telemedicine is the right treatment choice.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:42 am
This definitely mirros my experience in the ED. I help staff a rural emergency department and I’m continually amazed/shocked when I see simple otitis, pharyngitis, viral rhinosinusitis. Parents apparently won’t even hesitate to come to the ED at 2am! Surely they’d rather hop online and, for a fair price, consult w/ a doc before they get the kids in the car.
I’m looking fwd to what will come from this startup.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Thanks for your input. I shall add, the more you get into telemedicine, the more applications you can come up with.
Parents get worried about their kids and many times it is for minor reasons, the most important for them is to get comforted by hearing the advice of a qualified physician.