The first iPod was released in 2001; the first camera phone, in 2003. Today, self-driving cars are being tested, drones are delivering packages, and a typewriter spotting is more than rare. With all of the technological advances we’ve seen just since 2000, it seems like a no-brainer that we find a way to use these new tools and ways of communicating to our advantage in the world of health care.
For many Pennsylvanians, a trip to the doctor, let alone a specialist, takes travel time and money. Telemedicine bridges the gap for Pennsylvanians in rural and urban areas, and it extends the reach of providers to support communities as a whole. Telemedicine provides quality lifesaving, routine, or preventive health care, addresses the shortage of providers in the state, saves travel time and costs for patients, and improves access to health care services and specialists for people all over Pennsylvania.