The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled “General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices.” FDA is issuing this draft guidance to provide clarity to industry and FDA staff on the Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s (CDRH’s) compliance policy for low risk products that promote a healthy lifestyle (general wellness products). This draft guidance is not final nor is it in effect at this time.
Like telemedicine, telepsychiatry relies on technology to bring clinical medicine to patients, rather than the other way around. Patients typically videoconference with doctors using computers or videoconferencing equipment. Telepsychiatric services are growing, and the advantage is that such technology opens access to care, particularly for those in remote areas where there are fewer psychiatrists.
Google announced today in a blog post that it is shutting down its Explorer program and that the last day for individual consumers to purchase the computer-equipped glasses will be Jan. 19.
A study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology reveals there was a 90 percent agreement between office evaluations of skin conditions and evaluations via mobile phones, Health IT Outcomes reported. This supports the notion “Teledermatology is reliable for the triage of inpatient dermatology consultations and has the potential to improve efficiency.”
Physicians are under increased pressure to save money while not cutting into patient care. Mobile apps have evolved and are doing a better job of helping physicians do this by offering tools that allow physicians to do complex calculations and quickly search for information.
In today’s rapidly-evolving healthcare environment, care providers are looking for new ways to meet the needs of those for whom they provide care, while simultaneously reducing overall care costs. Hence, the development of Triple Aim.
Currently, 21 states do have some form of what’s called a “parity” law requiring private insurance companies to reimburse for televisits, according to the September 2014 review of the laws by the American Telemedicine Association. Pennsylvania is not one of them.
Telemedicine may just be the biggest trend in digital health in 2015.
Legislation was sponsored by Senator Catharine Young (R) and signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), representing bi-partisan support to facilitate patient access to telemedicine services through private sector growth and development.
Research firm Kalorama Information, for instance, named telemedicine one of its top 5 health trends for the year that was, while IDC Health Insights gazed ahead in its annual predictions, projecting that some 65 percent of transactions with healthcare organizations will be mobile by 2018, a reality that would fuel telehealth encounters as part of an omni-channel strategy.