Getting healthcare shouldn’t be a hassle.

                    WE THINK ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE!

Too many doctors refuse to think outside the narrow confines of the mainstream medical establishment – especially when it comes to chronic pain.

Health Care Touch views Telemedicine as a part of the solution to the healthcare crisis in America and around the world. We subscribe to the goal of having “remote care” and the realization that healthcare should be directed by clinicians working in close partnership with their patients.

This is why Healthcare Touch has designed its telemedicine solutions for the healthcare provider to utilize how they determine is best for their patients. We believe by cutting delays that are a burden to the patient in traveling to a doctors office, waiting and then going to the pharmacy; especially if the closest physician is 18 miles away.

We understand security is always a concern during online patient interactions, and Healthcare Touch technology is designed with security conscious Healthcare organizations in mind. Video settings and connections are SSL/TLS secured. Telemedicine uses medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status. This includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, secure email, smart phones and other forms of telecommunications.

For 90 years physicians have extended care to patients in remote areas, the use of telemedicine has spread rapidly and is now becoming integrated into the ongoing operations of hospitals, specialty departments, home health agencies, private physician offices as well as consumer’s homes and workplaces.

Telemedicine is not a separate medical specialty. Products and services related to telemedicine are often part of a larger investment by our care organization in either information technology or the delivery of clinical care. Even in the reimbursement fee structure, there is usually no distinction made between services provided on site and those provided through telemedicine and often no separate coding required for billing of remote services.

Historically telemedicine and telehealth are considered interchangeable terms, encompassing a wide definition of remote healthcare. Patient consultations via video conferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education, consumer-focused wireless applications and nursing call centers, among other applications, are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth.

Frequently Asked Questions 

I’m a physician. How can I get started in Telemedicine?

Answer: The best way to get started in offering Telemedicine services is to find out everything you can about Telemedicine.

Does a Physician need to have a background in Telemedicine to provide Telemedicine services?

Answer: No, but it does help to have a Physician providing Telemedicine services who possesses a friendly persona. If Telemedicine consultations are done over video, the Physician should be someone that speaks clearly and is aware of being on camera. A good criteria for selection of your Telemedicine Services Physician is someone that is motivated and excited by this type of technology.

Will Insurance cover a Telemedicine visit?

Answer: This is very specific to the state or country you are in. We have seen everything from reimbursement for both the rural physician and the specialist during a consult, as well as reimbursement even if the rural physician does not enter the room, such as a psychiatry visit. The office can still be reimbursed for a facility fee. Check with your local provider and your insurance company prior to your consultation.

Can I use Telemedicine to visit with a physician in any state in the U.S.?

Answer: The answer to that is yes, if you reside outside the USA, or the physician you are seeing has licensure in the state you reside in as well. Due to state licensure issues, a physician can only practice medicine in the state in which they are licensed. However, your specialist could work through your local physician by offering several solutions allowing your physician to make the final recommendation and prescribe your treatment. As these laws continually evolve, check with your provider and specialist, as well as your insurance company for current laws and regulations.

Healthcare Touch is committed to establishing and promoting effective State policies and practices, to help States—and their citizens—navigate and realize the full potential of their Healthcare options.

Telemedicine’s Latest News:

Telemedicine in the News

Modern Healthcare

National Telehealth Policy Resourses

Telehealth Is Changing Patient Care Now

Intouch Health

TeleHealth News