What’s the future of telehealth?

For the past few years, healthcare has been one of the main topics of discussion among lawmakers, employers and consumers.   Everyone is talking about healthcare reform, but how do we accomplish true healthcare reform?  Through technologies that everyone uses every day.

Imagine it is late Thursday night and you are having flu like symptoms, what do you do?  The traditional healthcare model would have you wait until your primary care physician's office opens on Friday and try to schedule an appointment or do directly to an urgent care center or the emergency room.  The new healthcare model gives you the ability to call a physician 24/7/365 for a phone or video online consultation, without ever having to leave your home or take time off from work.  These physicians are highly trained in telehealth and can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication when needed.

No one has to try to imagine this because it already exists. It is one of the few areas in the sector that has garnered widespread support across the United States as a potential mean to reform healthcare and lower costs.

One of the fastest-growing telehealth companies is eDocHome, founded by Chris Cole and Linda Cowart.  With eDocHome, consumers can register online to become members.  Within a few days members can request a consultation with a physician and within an average of 16 minutes be speaking with a U.S. board-certified physician who can diagnose, treat and even provide a prescription if necessary. Linda Cowart believes eDocHome is poised to bring telehealth to a new market of healthcare providers, employers and consumers.

“The Affordable Care Act is creating a huge opportunity for eDocHome. When people realize that the majority of their doctor visits could be handled over the phone or online, they can't wait to become a member of eDocHome” said Cole.

According to Cole and Cowart, physicians are embracing telehealth and are eager to learn more and sign up as telehealth physicians, as it offers them flexible work and a reduction on overhead cost.  "Doctors are leaving primary care in unprecedented numbers, there are several key factors are contributing to this exodus such as decreased reimbursements from third party payers (including insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid), pressure to see more patients and thus spend less time with each patient and insurance companies dictating treatment options (contributing to erosion of the doctors patient relationship) and increasing costs of running a medical practice" said Dr. William Donaldson.  He continued, "all of this is resulting in an increasing shortage of physicians."

Another recent shift is the support from both Democrats and Republicans for telehealth.“Telemedicine is a hot topic [in Washington, D.C.] and is supported by both sides of the aisle,” said Lauren Fifield, a senior policy strategist at Practice Fusion, who divides her time between San Francisco and D.C. In July, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri introduced bills to expand telehealth coverage for patients, as did Congress.

That said, eDocHome is designed to be affordable for consumers. Memberships range from only $15.00 to $30.00 per month, which includes immediate family members and there is never a consultation fee. Rival telehealth service Doctor on Demand charges a flat rate of $40 for a 15 minute video call — but unlike eDocHome, it isn’t available in all 50 states.

What’s the future of telehealth?

“We are seeing the consumer era of health,” said Cole. “It’s becoming clear to a lot of people that health care won’t be solved in Washington, D.C.; it will be solved in the home.”

eDocHome offers a broad spectrum of services, including Doctors Online, 24/7 Nurseline, Medical Health Advocate, Medial Bill Saver and more. Additional discount benefits includes Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, Prescription, Lab Testing, MRI & CT Scans, Counseling and many others. "Members can opt to chat with a licensed counselor as part of their benefit package, without any additional cost" says Cowart.

Finally, Dr. Donaldson states "Clearly the time is here and the need is great for innovative options to increase each individual's access to physicians to handle acute medical problems in a timely and cost - effective manner".

eDocHome is a national provider of telehealth services. The mission is to improve access to quality healthcare and make it more convenient and affordable to consumers while providing the highest quality of care. We do this by using mobile and web technology to remove barriers such as distance, mobility, and time. Whether you are a health plan, an employer or a consumer, eDocHome will connect doctors with patients for live, on-demand video visits over the internet or by phone. We are committed to delivering an outstanding consumer healthcare experience. We promote consumer engagement by giving patients insight into and control of their healthcare.

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