In 2005, a workforce study conducted by the ACR projected a shortage of 2,500 rheumatologists by 2025.1 This resulted in an increase in the number of rheumatology fellows trained and the development of online training programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rheumatology. In 2014, Daniel Battafarano, DO, MACP, was a member of the…
For many uninsured and underinsured patients in Yuba City, Calif., seeing a rheumatologist used to mean taking a day off from work and driving 108 miles, roundtrip, to the University of California Davis Medical Center. That changed this year when patients were offered the option of having a telemedicine consultation with a rheumatologist as part…
(Reuters)—After years of lobbying in Washington, U.S. telehealth providers have the first hints that the dam could break on public funding for an industry they say could save taxpayers billions. Four bills that could be signed into law over the next year carry the solutions to barriers that have prevented the U.S.s’ huge over-65 health…
SAN DIEGO—In many regions, rheumatologists are scarce, and shortfalls will only increase. Panelists in the session, Telehealth: Can It Expand the Rheumatology Workforce?, held Nov. 6 during the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, believe technology can help bridge the gap. The more specific term, telemedicine, “refers to clinical care delivered from a distance,” said John A….
In many regions, rheumatologists are scarce. But telemedicine offers rheumatologists the ability to treat patients who have difficulty accessing care. A panel at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting addressed the exciting prospects offered and ways to overcome its challenges…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health—Telemedicine follow up based on patient-reported outcome (PRO) is noninferior to conventional outpatient care for tight control of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with low disease activity or remission, new findings show. “Even though patients in the [telemedicine] follow-up groups requested more acute visits, they over-all had a more than…
(Reuters Health)—A web-based program of exercise and coping skills training improves both function and pain in arthritic knees, a new study suggests. This kind of online therapy can greatly improve access to effective, nonsurgical and non-drug relief for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers say. “Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic knee pain…
Once the barriers to telemedicine are overcome, this modern approach to the practice of medicine solves patient access issues and increases physician productivity, says Daniel Albert, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist at the Center for Telehealth at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center…
A 52-year-old woman comes to the office complaining of a two-month history of pain and swelling in the small joints of her hands, feet and knees. She says, “Doctor, I’ve been searching the Internet, and I think I have rheumatoid arthritis. I have some questions for you.” The healthcare system in the U.S. is changing…
With the evolution and advancement of technology, it was only a matter of time before such changes affected the medical industry. Although the concept of telemedicine dates back more than 50 years, emphasis on cost-effective quality healthcare coupled with technological advancements has caused a resurgence of telemedicine in recent years. What constitutes telemedicine largely depends…