Your Questions About Telemedicine Answered

There’s no doubt that telemedicine offers significant promise—but with this promise come significant gray areas that physicians are attempting to navigate now. How can you use telemedicine responsibly? Get the answers to your questions.
Q: What types of technologies can be used for telemedicine?
A: Three main types of technologies are being used today:
Store-and-forward telemedicine transmits medical data, such as medical images, to a physician for assessment. This type of interaction doesn’t require the presence of the patient and the physician at the same time.
Remote monitoring, or self-monitoring, allows physicians to monitor a patient remotely. This method is typically used to manage chronic diseases or specific conditions with devices that patients can use at home to capture health indicators.
Interactive telemedicine services provide real-time, face-to-face interaction between the patient and physician. This can be used as an alternative to in-person care delivery and can be used to diagnose, consult and treat patients.
Q: Do health plans cover telemedicine?
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