Time, distance and cost often hamper efforts to link patients with the right health care expert, causing further concern for those needing to consult with faraway doctors. Verizon is answering this need with new services for physicians, hospitals, clinics and insurers that enable providers to "see" patients through video consultations, as well as other collaboration services.
Verizon's portfolio, Telehealth Collaboration Services, enables health care providers to consult remotely with patients and other providers, offer continuing medical education and training to medical professionals, as well as help health care administrators avoid costly and time-consuming travel through the use of collaborative technology.
As part of its consultancy, Verizon Business IT professionals work with health care organizations to assess their collaboration readiness, as well as design, implement and provide ongoing support for a broad range of Web and audio conferencing services, and video capabilities from desktop Web cams to high-definition and immersive video. Verizon's telehealth solutions are tailored to each health care setting to deliver security, performance and reliability.
Telehealth is well-suited to helping health care organizations expand access to specialist services, such as mental health, cardiology and critical care experts - especially for patients and physicians in rural and remote areas. It can also enhance remote patient monitoring with near real-time access to patient medical information, enabling more frequent and rapid interventions.
"Health care providers increasingly are tapping the power of IT, and our telehealth solutions offer an effective way to meet a wide range of challenges, including the expansion of access to care, speeding diagnoses and driving efficiency," said Rajeev Kapoor, global managing director - Verizon Connected Healthcare. "These new IT capabilities will help hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices modernize the delivery of health care - a critical need throughout the U.S. health care system today."
According to experts, use of telehealth services is on the rise in North America. Datamonitor, a leading provider of online database and analysis services, forecasts that annual spending on telehealth hardware, software and related services will nearly triple over the next three years, from the current $2.4 billion to $6.1 billion in 2012.
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