It Could Happen Here The USA's Impending Telemedicine Cliff
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Mar 5, 2025 Venktesh Ramnath, a practicing pulmonologist and health architect, and Kaveh Hoda, a gastroenterologist and podcast host, dive into the precarious future of telemedicine in the U.S. They discuss potential Medicare funding cuts, emphasizing how vital telemedicine is for vulnerable populations. The conversation also highlights the financial strains affecting both medical devices essential for patient care and healthcare providers. With personal anecdotes, they explore the implications of legislative changes and the need for advocacy to maintain access to telehealth services.
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Telemedicine Effectiveness
- Telemedicine offers several benefits, such as freeing up hospital beds, preventing ER overcrowding, and faster testing.
- Its effectiveness is comparable to in-person care in about 90% of cases, with the other 10% not demonstrably worse.
Telehealth vs. Telemedicine
- Telehealth encompasses various remote healthcare technologies, including wearables and remote monitoring devices.
- It remains unclear how Medicare cuts will affect these technologies.
Healthcare Workers Under Pressure
- Healthcare professionals face increasing stress from mounting job demands and patient financial concerns.
- The unclear and potentially adversarial approach of the current administration adds to the uncertainty.