Seven trends that mark the future of telemedicine, according to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

Jonathan Linkous, executive director of the ATA, has shared seven market trends that will shape the telemedicine and telehealth in the near future. From Blogtelemedicina after reading them, We want to bring them to you, What is your  opinion about it?, We would like this to become an open forum about where telemedicine and its future.

1- Changes in the way of payments: According Linkous, the payment models have been the biggest problem of telemedicine in North America, but says that the rapid growth of models such as ACO's (Accountable Care Organizations) and Medical Home model, which are some new models of healthcare, are changing the way to pay for telemedicine services. Based on these data, the increase of the population covered by medical insurance allows you to define new models of payment. So as healthcare services are extended to regional or national health organizations.

2 - Telemedicine as a standard of care: Medical Imaging, X-rays and CT scans digital originate since decades. Teleradiology is now so common that provide radiology services 24/7. The technology can be the foundation for that telemedicine will become a standard service model. From Blogtelemedicina could extend this work to the Teledermatology also, today with existing devices could be a reference to a model in providing standard healthcare.

3 - Appearance of remote medical aid companies: The outsourcing of medical image interpretation is currently used by most hospitals in the United States. If a hospital can outsource radiology services, why not outsource dermatology, neurology, or other clinical services? A number of companies can to emerge to provide remote clinical consultations with medical specialists.


4 - The rise of virtual medical centers: In October, "Mercy Hospitals" announced the construction of a new hospital with a cost of 90 million dollars, dedicated to the "virtual healthcare". This center will have clinicians who see patients from peripheral centers in the four states in which this organization operates.

Since Blogtelemedicina We know also of the ambitious project of Cisco to undertake the construction of a hospital designed with all the technological advances in telemedicine and videoconferencing called Palomar West Medical Campus in San Diego California. Then we leave you a sample of this project known as "The Hospital of the future."

5 - mHealth: mobile health (mHealth) is an important aportation to the suite of technologies that are changing the way medical care. However, in general opinion, the mHealth environment is full of promise that yet to be tested and uncertainties about how to pay for these services is very high.


What do you think about it?. Is this a really new era, We left the eHealth and We enter in the mHealth?.

6 - Organization centralized or distributed: The Federal grants have helped establish over 200 telemedicine programs in the United States, and most seem to present a model in which a large central hospital provides services to remotes sites connected to it; but there is an emerging alternative, multiple centers linked together, that providing or receiving services from any of them to any other point in the network; the Arizona Telemedicine Program and the Ontario Telehealth Network are examples of this new approach.


This new approach is also being considered in Extremadura when updating its network of telemedicine, because experience has shown that telemedicine is not only teleconsultations, there is also e-learning, clinical sessions, etc..

7 - Multi-nationalization: Telemedicine can be an important source of international finantial trades. Global investments in high speed networks, and standardization of clinical practice, are providing the necessary basis. Different issues such as payment mechanisms, trade protectionism and cultural prejudices, remain a barrier, however, the potential revenue from such services could have a significant effect on trade balance worldwide.

Maybe it's time for chances in certain organisms,  time for Healthcare Services beyond political boundaries, that they can sign agreements or collaboration agreements with private companies, nongovernmental organizations and even countries without the resources necessary for to have trained health professionals in all specialties.

From Blogtelemedicina We are aware that these ideas come from a country where health policies are very different from European ones, but we understand that is a model that works in some countries and if we make a serious analysis of the different models of healthcare We really think that together We can to find the best option, We being aware that the European model is clearly superior, we can reach  create a third option which allows to develop both models and bring them to a higher level.

What is your opinion? What can you tell from your experience, if we plantearamos find a new model of care for telemedicine? Do you think that telemedicine has a future or simply see it as something of geeks?. We want to know your opinion and together try to build a new care model, where telemedicine has full presence, since we are fully convinced that it is useful and can provide a much higher level of healthcare if it well used.

We thank to Dr. Claudio Pelaez Vega for his collaboration , Regional Coordinator of Telemedicine Extremadura Health Service, who has provided information for this post.