| Abstract |
America's healthcare system is regarded as among the world's best. The application of new technologies to medical care has enabled significant progress. However, the wider adoption of telehealth technologies promises even greater access and higher quality care, with reduced costs. Telehealth applications have been proven effective in extending medicine's reach to remote Alaskan villages, disaster assistance teams, and ships at sea. As global demand for healthcare increases, adoption of telehealth systems and technologies can be a powerful tool to assure high quality medical care for all peoples, regardless of their location. The Technology Administration was asked, in its role as a portal to private industry, to conduct the first comprehensive analysis of telehealth since 1997. This report focuses on the state of innovation, demand and investment in telehealth in the United States at the end of 2003. Its findings represent information collected in over 40 interviews with medical specialists, information technology innovators, healthcare consumers, etc. This report should be viewed as a baseline, presenting what is current, while offering a roadmap for achieving what is possible. |
