physicians

Building on the range of telemedicine options currently available, the emerging telemedical consult is taking shape directly between doctors and patients. Players include American Well, which allows patients to speak with doctors through online video, online chat or phone. Physicians can review patients' PHRs using Microsoft's HealthVault and even prescribe meds. Right now, the service is available to patients through Hawaii's BlueCross BlueShield for $10, for a 10 minute consultation. Non-members receive the same option for $45.

A recent study finds clinicians often override the built-in medication alerts in e-prescribing systems, relying instead on their own judgment. The study, led by investigators at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, suggests clinicians find the alerts to be more annoying than helpful, and significant improvements are needed in order for e-prescribing systems to be used more effectively.

The implementation of a cutting-edge program designed to increase survival rates of heart attack victims is one of two initiatives recently undertaken to dramatically impact the quality of health care in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Called a STEMI Management System, the program equips all EMS Southwest ambulances to wirelessly transmit EKGs to Southwest Regional Medical Center physicians before even leaving the patient's home. The physician will be able to direct the paramedic regarding the best option for treatment and, if a heart attack is suspected, plans will be made to facilitate the patient's admission to an appropriate treatment facility for catheterization.

With video-conferencing, remote patient monitoring and e-mail already standard tools for many physicians across the country—and real-time access to doctors via webcam having recently launched in Hawaii—proponents say “e-care” will help broaden access to health care, create savings for employer-sponsored health plans and help fight a growing shortage of physicians nationwide.

Coming on the heels of research that shows remote monitoring devices which feed clinical data to providers can have significant benefits, experts are warning that such devices, while beneficial, could generate more data than physicians can manage.