Dr. Manish N. Shah, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, said by email, “It is important to know that the U.S. is behind the rest of the world when it comes to telemedicine. In Canada, the Ontario Telemedicine Network has existed for years. In the UK, telemedicine has been also available.”
“Reimbursement for telemedicine is a complex issue, particularly because the entire provider payment system is changing,” Dr. Shah said. “However, without funding, telemedicine will not be made available to patients despite increasing evidence showing that patients want to use it, that care can be effectively delivered via telemedicine, and that telemedicine is cost effective.”
The authors reported no external funding or disclosures.