Discussing the international telemedicine market #ATA2012

Here at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 annual conference, there are a number of discussions revolving around the international application of telemedicine. This afternoon, I attended the Industry Executive Panel 5: International Markets. What does the globalization of telemedicine mean for the industry? Participants included: AMD Global Telemedicine, Sun Pa, IBM Global Business Services, and Chorus Call.

A growing number of countries are using telemedicine to delivery care in areas that currently lack access. Hence, telemedicine is bridging a crucial gap to access, but there are regulatory challenges that telemedicine  companies must understand that are unique to each country. Also, cultural factors must be addressed when telemedicine programs are being developed. Developing nations have needs and opportunities that are being addressed through the use of low-cost strategies that leverage mobile devices and ubiquitous wireless networks. As telemedicine solutions integrate with various electronic health records (EHRs), the issue of interoperability becomes another challenge that we must be ready to address. Right now, there are no international standards that are universally being applied to health information. So, global health information exchange is a significant challenge right now. Another major challenge surrounds the issue of sustainability. Who is paying for the telemedicine services in different countries? Does the government cover these types of health care costs? Or, are individual patients paying?



Another big area of international telemedicine is the exchange of clinical information and education among international physicians and health care professionals. We are seeing collaborative discussions and information sharing occurring among physicians across international borders. These types of discussions will ultimately improve patient care around the world as scientific expertise is shared through telecommunications.

ATA2012
Industry Executive Panel 5: International Markets
4/30/12 at 4:15 pm

Moderator

AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc.
Steve Normandin
President

Panelists

Sun Pa
Liu Yong MD
Chairman 

IBM Global Business Services
Mohammad Naraghi, MD, PhD
Global Healthcare and Life Sciences Industries Leader 

Chorus Call
Sabina Chiara Coraluppi
Director of Operations

ATA12 coverage is sponsored by HP. HP’s extensive portfolio of products, solutions, services and relationships can help your healthcare organization achieve quality business practices and provide quality patient care.