When it comes to healthcare, “perfect cannot be the enemy of good” and telemedicine may be one of the best ways to reduce costs and get Americans the timely care they need, according to Richard Boxer, M.D., chief telehealth officer of Pager and chief medical officer of Well Via.
While many think telemedicine may not offer the same level of care as a face-to-face visit with a provider, the companies routinely assess their doctors and have strong quality-assurance programs, Boxer writes at The Wall Street Journal.
Through a tap on a smartphone, many issues currently plaguing healthcare can begin to be solved, he adds. Those challenges include a dearth of practices in rural areas, an increase in elderly patients across the U.S., and the long wait times associated with seeing a primary care physician.”Millions of Americans live in areas that are short of primary-care doctors, and millions more go to the emergency room when they have a sore throat,” Boxer writes. “Entrepreneurs have responded by creating methods of connecting patients to doctors remotely, which reduces costs and satisfies patients. There is no scenario for sustaining or improving healthcare in America without telemedicine.”
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