Virtual House Calls

Lance James explains the benefits of telehealth interaction for both patients and physicians.

“The technology allows for a patient to see their physician whether it is in a remote location, a foreign country, urban city or the comfort of their own home”
-Lance James

What is e-Telmed?
Lance James. That’s my favorite question. e-Telmed is a leading innovator in telehealth, an industry that needs to be taken very seriously as demand and need for electronic medical records (EMR) explodes. I started e-Telmed six years ago to address the current US healthcare deficiency by creating a solution that connects patient and physicians from any location they choose, allowing patients to have easier interactions and consultations with physicians, from the comfort of their home, office or any remote location. What differentiates us is our comprehensive fully-integrated telemedicine solution offering a web-based EMR, video conferencing, personal health record (PHR), and technical, legal and customer support. We make virtual house calls a reality.

What are the benefits of e-Telmed to physicians and patients?
LJ. For physicians, e-Telmed provides a cost-effective solution and technology to help access patients anywhere in the country, which allows their practice to expand its patient base. Physicians have been mandated to switch to an electronic format of medical records by 2011 and will receive penalties from Medicare/Medicaid if they do not comply by 2015. Implementation of our EMR system will also allow physicians to qualify for government reimbursement, which will be distributed by 2012.

For patients, e-Telmed provides a medium to access your physician easily from anywhere in the world. Patients have the ability to closely monitor chronic diseases with the help of their physician by logging in and virtually connecting with their physician on a regular basis. It’s ideal for patients located in rural locations who previously had to travel great distances and incur expenses to go visit a specialist. With e-Telmed, a specialist can see the patient in a virtual doctor’s office and determine whether it is necessary for the patient to travel.

Tell me about your exciting project in Alaska. Does e-Telmed only work for patients in remote locations?
LJ. e-Telmed was recently selected to provide telehealth services to a federally funded tribal organization that serves native Alaskans in remote villages throughout the state. We were chosen because of our thorough and comprehensive solution that allows for cost effective communication between urban hospitals and several remote villages located throughout Alaska. The project consists of connecting approximately 1,500 villagers to physicians and specialists located in urban Alaska.

Each remote location will have all the telemedicine technology necessary to provide the highest level of care. If someone gets sick, they can immediately go to a central location in their village. Once there, they can have complete consultations with a wide array of physicians ranging from pediatricians to cardiologists, thus eliminating expensive travel costs.

e-Telmed is not only for the rural locations. There are several uses for patients who need to see their physician while traveling, vacationing or on business. The technology allows for a patient to see their physician whether it is in a remote location, a foreign country, urban city or the comfort of their own home. The benefits provided to remote patients are the same ones that are offered to all of our 60,000 patient members. Patients are not limited to local physicians.

Why is e-Telmed a leader in Telehealth?
LJ. e-Telmed is the only full service telehealth solution. It provides one point of contact for technical, legal and customer service, instead of several. Our solution is fully web-based and HIPPA compliant. As a result, it is not necessary for clients to purchase servers or hire IT Managers. e-Telmed hosts the information in secure data vaults placed in strategic locations, providing physicians complete portability for their practice as they can access patient information from their laptop even if they were at the beach on vacation.

Ultimately, e-Telmed is a wonderful solution for physicians and patients. The physician receives a state-of-the-art platform without the huge costs usually associated with implementing healthcare technology, and the patient receives easier access to better healthcare.

Lance James is the CEO and Founder of e-Telmed Inc. James has 20 years of experience in creating, developing and marketing medical offices, pharmacies and telehealth solutions. His telehealth solution has since been utilized by medical professionals for over 100,000 consultations and has created a gateway between patient and physicians through the use of advanced telemedicine technologies.