REACH Health looks at 5 telemedicine trends for 2016

ATLANTA — Telemedicine is one of the fastest growing areas of health care, and as 2016 approaches, REACH Health has released its list of five trends in telemedicine technology that will be important in the coming year. 

 

“Telemedicine has evolved dramatically over the past few years, and providers have come to realize the profound ways in which it can improve patient care,” REACH Health CEO Steve McGraw said. “With this evolution has also come the increasing sophistication of telemedicine practitioners. Doctors, nurses and administrators now desire easier integration, clinical adaptability and configurability, support for multiple specialties on a single comprehensive platform, and robust data collection and analytics.”

 

One of the trends that the company predicts is that proprietary hardware and networks will become start to become obsolete. With providers focusing on flexible and affordable solutions to allow them to choose the most appropriate clinical use for telemedicine technology, emerging networks like WebRTC and low-cost cameras will start to become the norm. 

 

Additionally, as healthcare systems begin to seek out solutions that can provide multiple lines of service across various delivery models, providers will start to look for a single software platform to suit their telemedicine needs. 

 

REACH Health’s third trend relates to how physicians engage their patients. As 2016 wears on, telemedicine apps will become more adaptable and allow doctors the ability to control how information is displayed and used, all within the provider organization’s treatment protocols. 

 

Finally, the company predicts that data will become even more important within telemedicine. To have a program that thrives, providers will need to compile usage, financial and clinical data that can be examined to identify trends in the program. 

 

“Provider expectations of telemedicine technologies are shifting rapidly,” McGraw said. “With increasing focus on patient engagement and improved outcomes, providers are consistently seeking telemedicine solutions that do much more than simply enable consultations, but truly enhance clinical effectiveness and overall program management.”