MEET THE EXPERT
The 21st Century House Call How Telemedicine Can Transform Your Practice and The Way Patients Experience Care
It can be challenging for patients to connect with the most appropriate care for their needs—particularly if they require specialty services or have a chronic illness. Health systems worldwide are using telemedicine to enable patients to receive the best care possible regardless of their location. In this issue of Meet the Expert, two guests bring us up-to-date on the latest developments in telemedicine. Tony DeFranseco, a Healthcare Senior Solutions Advisor within Cisco’s healthcare business transformation team, has 20 years of experience in U.S. and international healthcare sales and marketing. Ash Shahada, Senior Executive Director of Healthcare at Cisco Systems, has served as Worldwide Director
of the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group, responsible for the healthcare payer and fi nancial services. His 25 years of healthcare and IT expertise include leadership positions at Wellpoint, IBM Global Services, Accenture, and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Q: Can you describe what healthcare delivery challenges telemedicine addresses?
A: (Shahada) What is really exciting about the new technologies and the new applications in telemedicine is that it’s not just about robust high-defi nition video endpoints, but now it’s actually about the opportunity to create an immersive healthcare experience for patients and providers. It really is a breakthrough era for telemedicine; we are moving beyond that point-to-point industry and are now using telemedicine as a communication device to enhance the ability to see patients.
Q: I have some family members who have talked about their experiences [with telemedicine]. They say that it was quicker and that they felt a more of a connection with the physician than they
had gotten with some bed-side care in the past. What are your thoughts?
A: (Shahada) We are seeing 90+ percentage points in patient satisfaction scores across the board for patients and providers. We have surveyed different groups from the ages of 16–75+ for both primary care and specialty care. The data is coming in at a very encouraging level. Today, you can sit and watch a fantastic television broadcast in your living room in HD—the expectation and ability to do the same for healthcare is certainly there, and we are excited to be able to see that happening in our lifetime.
Q: Can I assume for the physicians that being able to collaborate with each other, or with another specialist, is a big benefi t? Are we seeing more cases where an individual can visit with two or three physicians at once?
A: (Shahada) Yes, and we are seeing these kinds of use-cases fall into three areas. The fi rst is the corporate clinic use-case; you can take a corporate clinic with providers that you can extend to remote locations—of course taking into consideration state licensure. The second model is the concept of extending your specialists; there is a big uptake in programs around neurology, cardiology, and even emergency department consultations. The idea of being able to engage a specialist either pre- or post- procedure with real-time advice, and have them actually see the patient with the vital information they need for a diagnosis, is really quite exciting. The third area involves the capabilities to the home that give people follow-up care, care management, and coordination of services right in their living room.
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