[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":422},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-can-we-eliminate-waiting-times-from-healthcare-forever":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":161,"relatedBooks":306},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":33,"project_category":37,"contact_email_category":38,"yst_prominent_words":39,"class_list":59,"better_featured_image":71,"acf":97,"yoast_meta":106,"_links":108},29481,"2022-08-25T10:00:00","2022-08-25T08:00:00",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=29481&_wpnonce=efea307ba6&status=auto-draft&type=post","2022-08-19T10:48:40","2022-08-19T08:48:40","can-we-eliminate-waiting-times-from-healthcare-forever","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcan-we-eliminate-waiting-times-from-healthcare-forever",{"rendered":17},"Can We Eliminate Waiting Times From Healthcare Forever?",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Wake up early, get ready quickly, travel to the hospital while hoping to get there before others start lining up and wait till the doctor sees you. If you encountered any downtimes along the way to this “hospital journey maze”, you know you’ll be there for more time than planned. But you know the drill as it’s a quasi-global phenomenon and an expected component of the healthcare experience: waiting times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This component is as “pleasant” as it sounds. A \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.softwareadvice.com\u002Fresources\u002Fhow-to-treat-patient-wait-time-woes\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">survey from Software Advice\u003C\u002Fa> that involved over 5000 patients found that 97% of respondents were frustrated by wait times at the doctor’s office. Another \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cardiovascularbusiness.com\u002Ftopics\u002Fpractice-management\u002Freport-20-patients-have-changed-doctors-because-long-wait-times\" target=\"_blank\">report from Vitals\u003C\u002Fa> showed that 30% of surveyed patients have already walked out of an appointment because of a long wait and 20% have changed doctors due to wait times. We can surely empathise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, waiting times have further economic repercussions. The Altarum Institute’s 2019 report found that long wait and travel times \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fintouchhealth.com\u002Fhow-telehealth-can-reduce-healthcare-wait-and-travel-times\u002F?gdprorigin=true\" target=\"_blank\">lead to some $89 billion\u003C\u002Fa> annually in missed opportunities. Another \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Flong-wait-times-in-ers-drive-up-costs-signal-health-care-distress-125198\" target=\"_blank\">analysis by an economist at the University of South Carolina\u003C\u002Fa> found that a 10-minute increase in emergency room (ER) wait time for patients with serious conditions will increase the hospital’s cost to care for the patient by an average of 6%. The author further noted that such critical patients are currently waiting nearly an hour. We have to note that an hour spent waiting at the ER seems a pretty optimistic guess, all recent data we found shows significantly more both in the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fresearchbriefings.files.parliament.uk\u002Fdocuments\u002FCBP-7281\u002FCBP-7281.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">UK \u003C\u002Fa>and the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.autoinsurance.org\u002Flongest-emergency-room-waits\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">US\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To make waiting more bearable, you might have noticed hospitals offering reading materials or tablets for internet access. Some researchers even went as far as to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.lww.com\u002Fpec-online\u002FAbstract\u002F2008\u002F12000\u002FEmergency_Department_Waiting_Room_Stress__Can.6.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">investigate the benefits of aromatherapy\u003C\u002Fa> to reduce waiting room stress. It didn’t make the experience any more tolerable. And these attempts at diverting patients’ attention don’t solve the issue itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Why do we wait to receive healthcare?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Waiting times are a reflection of the functioning of the fragmented health system in Australia and in many parts of the world,” Ugenthiri Naiker tells us. Naiker is a researcher from the Queensland University of Technology who \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.publish.csiro.au\u002Fah\u002FFulltext\u002FAH16275\" target=\"_blank\">analysed and published studies\u003C\u002Fa> about waiting times in healthcare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This will continue to be a part of patient’s experience as long as there continues to be wastage (inappropriate treatment), inefficiencies (operational) and misalignment (supply versus demand) of services,” adds Naiker. “There are also underlying cultural issues where waiting times are used to funnel patients away from the public sector to seek treatment in the private sector at their own cost. At a global level, ongoing demand factors ensure that waiting times will continue to be a significant issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At first glance, technology is also adding to increased wait times in healthcare institutions. Studies showed that for every hour physicians spend face-to-face with patients, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpnhp.org\u002Fnews\u002Fphysicians-spend-two-hours-on-ehrs-and-desk-work-for-every-hour-of-direct-patient-care\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">2 additional hours are spent\u003C\u002Fa> on electronic health records (EHR) and desk work within the clinic day. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002F@slingshothealth\u002Fthe-doctor-will-see-you-in-3-weeks-why-appointment-wait-times-are-rising-and-what-you-can-do-about-ef233b68f942\" target=\"_blank\">33% of doctors\u003C\u002Fa> report that EHR “reduced the quality of care given to patients”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Can digital technologies help?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even if the EHR is giving technology a bad rap when it comes to waiting times, it is but one technology. However, there are several ways where technology can cut down on the time to access care. Let’s see how this is the case now and what lies ahead in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>1. Reaching healthcare facilities in time\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Waiting to access healthcare does not only happen in the waiting room but even before reaching there. On average, a patient experiences \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fintouchhealth.com\u002Fhow-telehealth-can-reduce-healthcare-wait-and-travel-times\u002F?gdprorigin=true\" target=\"_blank\">34 minutes of travel time and 11 minutes of wait time\u003C\u002Fa> before accessing healthcare services. The time spent travelling and waiting accounts for more than half of the time spent actually receiving care. As a result, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fdoctor-visits-could-provide-relief-to-uber-and-lyft-11562756401\" target=\"_blank\">millions of people miss their doctor’s appointments\u003C\u002Fa> annually due to poor transportation services.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To address the travel time issue in healthcare, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fride-hailing-platforms-solve-problems-transportation-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">ridesharing services\u003C\u002Fa> such as Uber and Lyft found a niche to fill. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uberhealth.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Uber Health\u003C\u002Fa> provides a HIPAA-compliant technology for healthcare organizations to manage and monitor rides for patients and staff to and from hospitals. Its competitor, Lyft, recently expanded its services for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) rides \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lyft.com\u002Fblog\u002Fposts\u002Flyft-healthcare-launches-lyft-assisted\" target=\"_blank\">by offering Assisted\u003C\u002Fa>, a transport option specifically designed for patients who need some help. This might address some of the issues that were \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2022\u002F2\u002F17\u002F22937849\u002Fuber-lyft-health-transport-safety\" target=\"_blank\">discussed in the past few years\u003C\u002Fa> regarding ridesharing companies entering the medical transportation market. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17697\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber-444x250.jpg 444w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Ffuture-of-ambulance-and-uber.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other startups also budded in the market to offer on-demand NEMT ride-ordering services. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.modivcare.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Modivcare\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fkaizenhealth.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Kaizen Health\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fveyo.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Veyo\u003C\u002Fa> are some examples of services that allow patients to reach hospitals in a secure and reliable manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>2. No more travelling with remote care \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What’s more comfortable than the place we call home? With remote digital solutions, we can eliminate the issue of travel times altogether, while having faster access to quality care right at home. This is especially efficient to reduce unnecessary hospital visits. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Here, telemedicine is an apt solution. During the pandemic, such services \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">have been on the rise\u003C\u002Fa>. Even cancer patients were continuing their treatment thanks to this technology. Moreover, telemedicine can help in reducing waiting times. This is what a study by \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftelemedicine.arizona.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-telemedicine-can-improve-reputation-waiting-room#:~:text=With%20telehealth%20services%2C%20hospitals%20and,platforms%20to%20see%20patients%20online.&text=They%20found%20that%20these%20hospitals,didn't%20use%20the%20technology.\" target=\"_blank\">researchers from the University of Iowa\u003C\u002Fa> concluded. By analysing 14 U.S. hospitals with telemedicine services, they found that patient wait times were reduced by 6 minutes on average as compared to those facilities that didn’t use telemedicine. Additionally, remote providers were 14 minutes earlier than local providers in more than 40% of telemedicine encounters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"telemedicine\" class=\"wp-image-22474\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Telemedicine can be further supplemented with portable diagnostic devices and at-home lab tests. A single device like the FDA-approved \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffirst-medical-tricorder-viatom-checkme-pro-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Viatom CheckMe Pro\u003C\u002Fa> allows users to monitor a slew of parameters from ECG through blood oxygen level to body temperature and share them with their caregivers online for an expert opinion. If more in-depth testing is deemed necessary, only then should patients displace themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>3. Waiting rooms without waiting\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The name suggests it and we’ve come to expect it: waiting rooms are meant for us to wait. 85% of patients participating in a survey by the design and development firm Sequence reported that they wait \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businesswire.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhome\u002F20160405005493\u002Fen\u002FSurvey-Sequence-Uncovers-Functional-Breakdowns-Technology-Gaps\" target=\"_blank\">10-30 minutes past their scheduled appointment times\u003C\u002Fa> before seeing their physician. And wait times further \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frelymd.com\u002Fblog-infographic-average-wait-times-to-see-a-doctor\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">vary from department to department\u003C\u002Fa>; the average wait time in an emergency department is over 2 hours, while it’s 18 minutes in the primary care unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias-768x432.png\" alt=\"AI bias algorithm artificial intelligence people patients race population\" class=\"wp-image-41809\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002FAI-bias.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Here, mobile queue tools can prove to be game-changers. Apps like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqless.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Qless\u003C\u002Fa>, when within a healthcare facility, give patients an estimated wait time prior to their arrival. It even allows patients to join a virtual queue which updates them on their position so they can grab a coffee at their favourite cafe while waiting for their turn. Patients can also alert staff remotely if they are running late. Such two-way communication between patients and hospitals helps in making more effective operational management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>4. Optimising administrative tasks\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We mentioned earlier that EHR takes up doctors’ valuable time. In fact,  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fvoice-to-text-technologies-shape-the-future\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">70% of physicians\u003C\u002Fa> are themselves unhappy with their current system. Alternatives to these systems do exist and help in optimising administrative tasks while improving wait times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ugenthiri Naiker shared one such example with us. “The Viewer is a digital platform that enables patient information across most health sectors,” he explains. “The Viewer collates data from multiple Queensland Health systems, enabling healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, to access patients’ information quickly, without having to log in to different systems. By enabling access to patient information across health sectors, this platform has helped significantly reduce waiting times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"Cross-border healthcare: medicine delivery to patient care\" class=\"wp-image-29589\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F195_tmf-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another example is that of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fonkonetwork-drastically-reduces-pre-treatment-waiting-time-oncology-patients\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">OnkoNetwork\u003C\u002Fa>, the first Hungarian patient management network geared towards cancer patients. This opt-in system records and monitors a patient’s oncotherapy pathway. It helps coordinators organise sessions and ensure that the patient shows up for all the relevant appointments in time. With the OnkoNetwork, the average time of examination decreased by nearly 70%. This gives a greater chance for surgical operations in case of certain oncological diseases, for a more efficient therapy, as well as for a lower cost of healing on the level of society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An emerging technology that can shave off considerable time from administrative work is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fvoice-to-text-technologies-shape-the-future\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">voice-to-text\u003C\u002Fa>. Rather than manually typing in details from an examination, this technology automatically documents visits by recognising speech and converting it into text. Companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nuance.com\u002Fhealthcare.html\" target=\"_blank\">Nuance\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.3m.com\u002F3M\u002Fen_US\u002Fhealth-information-systems-us\u002Fcreate-time-to-care\u002Fclinician-solutions\u002Fspeech-recognition\u002Ffluency-direct\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">3M\u003C\u002Fa> already offer such software compatible with current systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. A.I. to refocus waiting time into time well spent\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As we gather more data and healthcare institutions get more connected, we could integrate the best data analyst of them all: artificial intelligence (A.I.). In the future, a high-tech system aided by an A.I. assistant will help optimise the time spent by a patient during their medical journey with an approach similar to the navigation apps used for driving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such a system will integrate and analyse electronic records, availability of services, virtual queue tools and portable diagnostic devices to determine the best “path” to take. A “healthcare-navigation” system for might not eliminate waiting times but might make the patients’ journey more efficient. It can determine where the queue is longer and where it’s shorter. The assistant then redirects the patient accordingly so as to make better use of their time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32755\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Maybe they will take only 3 minutes before getting in the X-ray room while they would wait for 30 minutes at the doctor’s office should they show up at the same time. Right after the X-ray, they could take some vitals with a portable diagnostic device and relay it online to the doctor. Afterwards, they head to their doctor’s office only for 3 minutes and have their results assessed. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Will waiting times ever be a thing of the past?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“In the current healthcare environment, it is unlikely that outpatient waiting times will be eliminated,” Ugenthiri Naiker tells us. Indeed, this is what we set out to find out and calling it a herculean task barely does it justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Still, waiting times are often the result of suboptimal logistics and can be addressed, at least to some extent. The technologies mentioned above will surely play a part in improving matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Waiting times are the most hated component of healthcare. We listed the 5 technologies that have the short-term potential to improve the situation. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",16,47078,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32],504,499,[34,35,36],144,275,1232,[],[],[40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58],1631,5487,1683,5489,1719,5495,1803,5497,1987,5501,3367,5503,4905,5505,5459,5461,5483,1593,5485,[60,14,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70],"post-29481","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence","category-healthcare-design","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-healthcare","tag-waiting-time",{"id":24,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":72,"media_details":73,"post":5,"source_url":96},"image",{"width":74,"height":75,"file":76,"sizes":77,"image_meta":94},1280,720,"2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital.png",{"medium":78,"large":84,"thumbnail":89,"medium_large":93},{"file":79,"width":80,"height":81,"mime-type":82,"source_url":83},"tmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-370x208.png",{"file":85,"width":86,"height":87,"mime-type":82,"source_url":88},"tmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-768x432.png",{"file":90,"width":91,"height":91,"mime-type":82,"source_url":92},"tmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital-150x150.png",{"file":85,"width":86,"height":87,"mime-type":82,"source_url":88},{"aperture":95,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":95,"copyright":27,"focal_length":95,"iso":95,"shutter_speed":95,"title":27,"orientation":95},"0","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_eliminating-waiting-times-hospital.png",{"cta_type":98,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":99,"related_posts_footer":102,"related_posts":20},"subscribe",[100,101],25985,24762,[103,104,105],15305,17682,27293,{"yoast_wpseo_title":17,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":107,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Waiting times are the most hated component of healthcare. We listed the 5 technologies that have the short-term potential to improve the situation.",{"self":109,"collection":115,"about":118,"author":121,"replies":124,"version-history":127,"predecessor-version":131,"wp:featuredmedia":135,"wp:attachment":138,"wp:term":141,"curies":157},[110],{"href":111,"targetHints":112},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29481",{"allow":113},[114],"GET",[116],{"href":117},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[119],{"href":120},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[122],{"embeddable":26,"href":123},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F16",[125],{"embeddable":26,"href":126},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=29481",[128],{"count":129,"href":130},12,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29481\u002Frevisions",[132],{"id":133,"href":134},47079,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29481\u002Frevisions\u002F47079",[136],{"embeddable":26,"href":137},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F47078",[139],{"href":140},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=29481",[142,145,148,151,154],{"taxonomy":143,"embeddable":26,"href":144},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=29481",{"taxonomy":146,"embeddable":26,"href":147},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=29481",{"taxonomy":149,"embeddable":26,"href":150},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=29481",{"taxonomy":152,"embeddable":26,"href":153},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=29481",{"taxonomy":155,"embeddable":26,"href":156},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=29481",[158],{"name":159,"href":160,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[162],{"id":105,"date":163,"date_gmt":164,"guid":165,"modified":167,"modified_gmt":168,"slug":169,"status":13,"type":14,"link":170,"title":171,"content":173,"excerpt":175,"author":23,"featured_media":177,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":178,"categories":179,"tags":183,"project_category":190,"contact_email_category":196,"yst_prominent_words":197,"class_list":214,"better_featured_image":230,"acf":255,"yoast_meta":261,"_links":264},"2020-03-31T10:00:00","2020-03-31T08:00:00",{"rendered":166},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=27293&_wpnonce=258a021372&status=auto-draft&type=post","2021-01-21T09:58:21","2021-01-21T08:58:21","covid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcovid-19-was-needed-for-telemedicine-to-finally-go-mainstream",{"rendered":172},"COVID-19 and the rise of Telemedicine",{"rendered":174,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Telemedicine has not had the success story it had hoped to achieve. The method, involving remote health-related services such as monitoring, advice and education between doctors and patients online over a secure connection, promised to be at the forefront of the future of medicine. It promised to make state-of-the-art healthcare more accessible without the need to wait hours in line. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, the reality is that only \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fremarkable-examples-of-telemedicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a handful of countries and regions\u003C\u002Fa> adopted the concept, but telemedicine remains merely a concept for many. In fact, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2017\u002F12\u002Fconsumers-telehealth\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">a study showed\u003C\u002Fa> that in the U.S. alone, \u003Cstrong>82 percent of consumers do not use such services\u003C\u002Fstrong>. This sad reality can be attributed to the lack of improper infrastructure to support it and to the lack of awareness. Another factor is that \u003Cstrong>cultural aspects haven’t been taken into consideration,\u003C\u002Fstrong> like it’s usually the case in digital health. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, \u003Cstrong>some even question its reliability and effectiveness\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Put to blame is the very quality of these services. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fstudy-of-telemedicine-finds-misdiagnoses-of-skin-problems-1463344200\" target=\"_blank\">A study with researchers posing as patients\u003C\u002Fa> found that remote doctors across 16 different telemedicine apps misdiagnosed serious skin conditions. What’s concerning is that some doctors operating through these services didn’t even have a license to practice in their patients’ regions. Such issues even led to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2018\u002F06\u002F29\u002Fwhy-telemedicine-is-a-bust.html\" target=\"_blank\">reimbursement questions\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One Minute Challenge: Telemedicine - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FdQ-rjGz15yM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But then came 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. This ongoing global crisis forced healthcare institutions and regulatory bodies to turn to alternative ways of providing healthcare while limiting exposure to the virus. And telemedicine is presenting itself as the ideal solution to these woes by limiting patient displacement to hospitals, allocating hospital capacity to important cases, all while curbing the disease’s spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Let’s see how the COVID-19 forced the healthcare world to do a 180° on telemedicine and what awaits this technology in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>And then came COVID-19…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Just a couple of months ago, no one could have predicted the extent of the COVID-19’s effect on society. Entire countries are under lockdown in a bid to limit the spread of the virus. \u003Cstrong>Digital health \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhow-digital-health-technology-can-help-manage-the-coronavirus-outbreak\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cstrong>fares as an adequate solution\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cstrong> in these circumstances. \u003C\u002Fstrong>Robots help in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F01\u002F23\u002Fhealth\u002Fus-wuhan-coronavirus-doctor-interview\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\">monitoring infected patients\u003C\u002Fa> to limit contact with medical personnel, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F23\u002Ftech\u002Fchina-tech-coronavirus-outbreak\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\">deliver medical supplies and disinfect wards\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Coronavirus Outbreak in the Era of Digital Health and A.I. \u002F Episode 11 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fr9VeCmM8--4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200309-coronavirus-covid-19-advice-chinas-work-at-home-experiment\" target=\"_blank\">companies\u003C\u002Fa> and even \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F3\u002F6\u002F21168463\u002Fcoronavirus-covid19-seattle-public-schools-networks-broadband\" target=\"_blank\">schools\u003C\u002Fa> adopt the work-from-home solution, remote consultation is also becoming an increasingly attractive option in healthcare. \u003Cstrong>The COVID-19 pandemic brought telemedicine into a new light.\u003C\u002Fstrong> As medical professionals need to stay healthy and disease-free, the need for remote technologies skyrocketed. Both the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fcoronavirus\u002F2019-ncov\u002Fphp\u002Fpreparing-communities.html\" target=\"_blank\">CDC\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapps.who.int\u002Firis\u002Fbitstream\u002Fhandle\u002F10665\u002F331215\u002FWHO-2019-nCov-IPCPPE_use-2020.1-eng.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">WHO\u003C\u002Fa> are advocating for telemedicine to monitor patients and reduce risks of them spreading the virus by traveling to hospitals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Following this lead, The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aafp.org\u002Fpatient-care\u002Femergency\u002F2019-coronavirus\u002FCOVID-19-daily\u002Ftelehealth.html\" target=\"_blank\">Academy of Family Physicians\u003C\u002Fa> and the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ama-assn.org\u002Fdelivering-care\u002Fpublic-health\u002Fkey-changes-made-telehealth-guidelines-boost-covid-19-care\" target=\"_blank\">American Medical Association (AMA) \u003C\u002Fa>released related guidelines. The US Government also \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hhs.gov\u002Fabout\u002Fnews\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F17\u002Fsecretary-azar-announces-historic-expansion-of-telehealth-access-to-combat-covid-19.html\" target=\"_blank\">took significant steps\u003C\u002Fa> in order to expand telemedicine services. We’ve also seen practical examples like the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.globenewswire.com\u002Fnews-release\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F03\u002F1994551\u002F0\u002Fen\u002FBergen-New-Bridge-Medical-Center-Expand-Telehealth-Service-for-COVID-19.html\" target=\"_blank\">dedicating a COVID-19 telemedicine service\u003C\u002Fa>.  “These are the moments that we were built for,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002F54da28f75c478ac1130170677958a7b5\" target=\"_blank\">said Dr. Jason Tibbels\u003C\u002Fa>, an executive with telemedicine provider Teladoc Health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A ready-made option\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Telehealth is bridging the gap between people, physicians and health systems, enabling everyone, especially symptomatic patients, to stay at home and communicate with physicians through virtual channels, helping to reduce the spread of the virus to mass populations and the medical staff on the frontlines,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthcareitnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftelemedicine-during-covid-19-benefits-limitations-burdens-adaptation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">said Dedi Gilad\u003C\u002Fa>, CEO and co-founder of Tyto Care, a telemedicine technology company. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dedi Gilad’s quote greatly summarizes the importance of telemedicine under the threat of COVID-19. It’s an adequate option to lift the burden from existing healthcare infrastructures. \u003Cstrong>It’s a readily available solution that allows those following treatment for other conditions to continue doing so or even filter out potential COVID-19 cases remotely.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In fact, telemedicine companies are evolving with the times. Companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Fplushcare-insider\u002Fplushcares-covid-19-response-including-our-efforts-to-launch-at-home-testing-82a5ebc5e3c1\" target=\"_blank\">PlushCare\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.everlywell.com\u002Fblog\u002Fnews-and-info\u002Four-commitment-to-fighting-covid-19\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Everlywell\u003C\u002Fa> plan to release at-home COVID-19 testing kits. This can neatly tie in with their existing remote consultation services. Others like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.doctorondemand.com\u002Fcoronavirus\">Doctor on Demand\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.heydoctor.com\u002Fservices\u002Fcoronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">HeyDoctor\u003C\u002Fa> offer free coronavirus risk assessments. These then direct high-risk patients towards a video or phone consultation with a physician. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test-768x510.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27295\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test-768x510.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fat-home-covid-19-test.png 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.everlywell.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Overload\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While existing telemedicine services are ready-made options to help manage this pandemic, prior to the current situation, they were not widely adopted. This is leading to an overload influx towards these solutions. Before the pandemic, only 1 in 10 US patients used telemedicine services, according to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jdpower.com\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2019185_telehealth_usage_and_awareness.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">a J.D. Power survey\u003C\u002Fa>. Now the tides have drastically changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Stakeholders and patients alike are now scrambling to find a telemedicine service, a sector which is facing an unprecedented demand. Appointments via PlushCare are up by 70%. Amwell, another service, had its app use increase by a whopping 158% in the US since January. “\u003Cstrong>Any technology infrastructure experiencing such a large increase in demand would experience impact\u003C\u002Fstrong>,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1821549\u002Ftelemedicine-faces-unprecedented-demand-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">said Holly Spring\u003C\u002Fa>, Amwell vice-president of corporate communications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png\" alt=\"telemedicine\" class=\"wp-image-22474\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1-512x288.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F054-telemedicine-1.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Conversely, \u003Cstrong>telemedicine services have the potential to overload hospitals\u003C\u002Fstrong>. This is because of their poor adoption, as not all institutions have the equipment to deliver remote consultations and allocate the required staff and resources. In a pandemic where the medical staff itself gets infected and quarantined, the pool of available providers is even smaller. But even this is a two-sided coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“By deploying advanced telehealth solutions, physicians are expanding their reach – even if quarantined – with the ability to remotely examine and diagnose more patients in a shorter amount of time, minimizing the number of patients entering hospitals and medical facilities,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthcareitnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftelemedicine-during-covid-19-benefits-limitations-burdens-adaptation\" target=\"_blank\">said Gilad\u003C\u002Fa> of Tyto Care. \u003Cstrong>Telemeicine will significantly reduce additional pressure\u003C\u002Fstrong>, he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>In a bubble?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ajmc.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fissue\u002F2020\u002F2020-vol26-n4\u002Fincorporating-telemedicine-as-part-of-covid19-outbreak-response-systems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">recent paper\u003C\u002Fa> from The American Journal of Managed Care discussed the need for and challenges to incorporating telemedicine amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It concluded that “although certain legal, regulatory, and reimbursement challenges remain, the COVID-19 outbreak may be the right impetus for lawmakers and regulatory agencies to promulgate further measures that facilitate more widespread adoption of telemedicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It might be the case that telemedicine is experiencing a bubble which will burst post-COVID-19. Under normal circumstances, regulations and pricing issues might stifle its growth as it has been the case so far. The technology might recede back into oblivion, only to rise up during the next outbreak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-768x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25384\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service-512x256.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ftelemedicine-service.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fintouchhealth.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, \u003Cstrong>another global public health crisis is likely to happen\u003C\u002Fstrong>. In less than a decade we’ve seen the likes of MERS, Ebola, Zika virus and COVID-19. The latest one has shown the importance of telemedicine and key stakeholders should embrace the technology and make it an integral part of the healthcare system. This will help work towards the digital health agenda while also preparing for an eventual emergency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:center;\">\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedicalfuturist%2Fposts%2F2802757973152153&show_text=true&appId=302609456435813&height=631\" width=\"\" height=\"671\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden;display:block;\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" >\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":176,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Telemedicine has not had the success story it had hoped to achieve. The method, involving remote health-related services such as monitoring, advice and education between […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",27309,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[180,181,32,182],6479,521,494,[184,185,186,187,188,189],637,723,207,3083,425,3085,[191,192,193,194,195],947,949,950,952,953,[],[40,198,42,199,44,200,201,202,48,203,204,205,206,207,208,209,210,211,212,213],3065,3071,3073,1723,3075,3077,2625,3079,2655,3081,2825,2829,1571,3055,1617,3063,[215,14,61,62,63,64,65,216,217,67,218,219,220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229],"post-27293","category-covid-19","category-future-medicine","category-telemedicine","tag-telehealth","tag-telemedicine","tag-digital-health","tag-covid","tag-technology-2","tag-covid19","project_category-company","project_category-educators","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-policy-makers","project_category-researchers",{"id":177,"alt_text":231,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":72,"media_details":232,"post":105,"source_url":254},"telemedicine and COVID-19",{"width":233,"height":234,"file":235,"sizes":236,"image_meta":253},1920,1080,"2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"medium":237,"large":241,"thumbnail":244,"medium_large":247,"1536x1536":248},{"file":238,"width":80,"height":81,"mime-type":239,"source_url":240},"COVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg","image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-370x208.jpg",{"file":242,"width":86,"height":87,"mime-type":239,"source_url":243},"COVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-768x432.jpg",{"file":245,"width":91,"height":91,"mime-type":239,"source_url":246},"COVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-150x150.jpg",{"file":242,"width":86,"height":87,"mime-type":239,"source_url":243},{"file":249,"width":250,"height":251,"mime-type":239,"source_url":252},"COVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small-1536x864.jpg",{"aperture":95,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":95,"copyright":27,"focal_length":95,"iso":95,"shutter_speed":95,"title":27,"orientation":95},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F03\u002FCOVID-telemed-small.jpg",{"cta_type":98,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":256,"related_posts_footer":258,"related_posts":20},[101,257],24757,[259,260],26049,16450,{"yoast_wpseo_title":262,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":263,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":170},"COVID-19 and the rise of Telemedicine - The Medical Futurist","Telemedicine & COVID-19: Coronavirus brought telemedicine into a new light. Some hospitals screen patients with a COVID-19 telemedicine service",{"self":265,"collection":270,"about":272,"author":274,"replies":276,"version-history":279,"predecessor-version":283,"wp:featuredmedia":287,"wp:attachment":290,"wp:term":293,"curies":304},[266],{"href":267,"targetHints":268},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293",{"allow":269},[114],[271],{"href":117},[273],{"href":120},[275],{"embeddable":26,"href":123},[277],{"embeddable":26,"href":278},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=27293",[280],{"count":281,"href":282},11,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293\u002Frevisions",[284],{"id":285,"href":286},27571,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F27293\u002Frevisions\u002F27571",[288],{"embeddable":26,"href":289},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F27309",[291],{"href":292},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=27293",[294,296,298,300,302],{"taxonomy":143,"embeddable":26,"href":295},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=27293",{"taxonomy":146,"embeddable":26,"href":297},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=27293",{"taxonomy":149,"embeddable":26,"href":299},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=27293",{"taxonomy":152,"embeddable":26,"href":301},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=27293",{"taxonomy":155,"embeddable":26,"href":303},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=27293",[305],{"name":159,"href":160,"templated":26},[307],{"id":101,"date":308,"date_gmt":309,"guid":310,"modified":312,"modified_gmt":313,"slug":314,"status":13,"type":315,"link":316,"title":317,"content":319,"excerpt":321,"author":323,"featured_media":324,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"template":27,"yst_prominent_words":325,"class_list":326,"better_featured_image":329,"acf":369,"yoast_meta":390,"_links":393},"2021-03-03T21:58:00","2021-03-03T20:58:00",{"rendered":311},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_type=book&p=24762","2024-05-29T23:37:45","2024-05-29T21:37:45","a-guide-to-artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare","book","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fbooks\u002Fa-guide-to-artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare\u002F",{"rendered":318},"A Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare",{"rendered":320,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Can we stay human in the\nage of A.I.? To go even further, can we grow in humanity, can we shape a\nmore humane, more equitable and sustainable healthcare?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Our e-book aims to prepare\nhealthcare and medical professionals for the era of human-machine collaboration.\nRead The Medical Futurist’s guide to understanding, anticipating and\ncontrolling artificial intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":322,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Can we stay human in the age of A.I.? To go even further, can we grow in humanity, can we shape a more humane, more equitable […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",10,56335,[42,201],[327,315,328,62,64,65],"post-24762","type-book",{"id":324,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":72,"media_details":330,"post":101,"source_url":368},{"width":331,"height":332,"file":333,"filesize":334,"sizes":335,"image_meta":366},1700,2200,"2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1.png",785627,{"medium":336,"large":342,"thumbnail":348,"medium_large":353,"1536x1536":354,"2048x2048":360},{"file":337,"width":338,"height":339,"mime-type":82,"filesize":340,"source_url":341},"ai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-370x208.png",370,208,49495,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-370x208.png",{"file":343,"width":344,"height":345,"mime-type":82,"filesize":346,"source_url":347},"ai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-768x994.png",768,994,349457,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-768x994.png",{"file":349,"width":350,"height":350,"mime-type":82,"filesize":351,"source_url":352},"ai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-150x150.png",150,23049,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-150x150.png",{"file":343,"width":344,"height":345,"mime-type":82,"filesize":346,"source_url":347},{"file":355,"width":356,"height":357,"mime-type":82,"filesize":358,"source_url":359},"ai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-1187x1536.png",1187,1536,849543,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-1187x1536.png",{"file":361,"width":362,"height":363,"mime-type":82,"filesize":364,"source_url":365},"ai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-1583x2048.png",1583,2048,1578683,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1-1583x2048.png",{"aperture":95,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":95,"copyright":27,"focal_length":95,"iso":95,"shutter_speed":95,"title":27,"orientation":95,"keywords":367},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F03\u002Fai-in-healthcare_2024-v6-1-1.png",{"leanpub_url":370,"preview":371,"buy_button_text":389},"https:\u002F\u002Fleanpub.com\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare",[372,373,375,377,379,381,383,385,387],{"image":368},{"image":374},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-3-1.png",{"image":376},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-4-1.png",{"image":378},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-5-1.png",{"image":380},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-6-1.png",{"image":382},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-7-1.png",{"image":384},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-8-1.png",{"image":386},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-9-1.png",{"image":388},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FArtificialIntelligenceinHealthcare-10-1.png","Get it on Leanpub",{"yoast_wpseo_title":391,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":392,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":316},"A Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - The Medical Futurist","The Guide To Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare aims to prepare healthcare and medical professionals for the era of human-machine collaboration.",{"self":394,"collection":399,"about":402,"author":405,"replies":408,"wp:featuredmedia":411,"wp:attachment":414,"wp:term":417,"curies":420},[395],{"href":396,"targetHints":397},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook\u002F24762",{"allow":398},[114],[400],{"href":401},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook",[403],{"href":404},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fbook",[406],{"embeddable":26,"href":407},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F10",[409],{"embeddable":26,"href":410},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=24762",[412],{"embeddable":26,"href":413},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F56335",[415],{"href":416},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=24762",[418],{"taxonomy":155,"embeddable":26,"href":419},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=24762",[421],{"name":159,"href":160,"templated":26},1789220158146]