According to the Baltimore Sun, the technology is available and relatively inexpensive. It's the regulatory hurdles that present the challenge. Because of licensing restrictions, specialists might have trouble treating and prescribing medicine for patients they're examining electronically across state lines.

Also, only a handful of states require insurers to cover telehealth care. Telehealth equipment can be installed in physicians' offices, small clinics, hospitals and even workplaces for from $10,000 to $100,000. Such technology isn't intended to replace patients' connection to a primary care physician. Instead, it's meant to hook them up quickly to care that is sometimes difficult to find.

According to a survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers and reported by Modern Medicine, 50 percent of consumers surveyed said they'd be willing to seek health care through the Internet or other computer technology instead of face-to-face, non-emergency visits.

E-mail consultation was the top choice (76 percent), followed by telemedicine, question-answer consults and an online forum monitored by a doctor. The second alternative to access was retail and worksite clinics for patients. Of consumers surveyed, 37 percent said they would likely use a worksite clinic, and 36 percent said they would use a retail health clinic.

The third alternative was the use of telemedicine technologies. This method could expand access to specialty physicians for patients in remote and underserved areas.

According to the ATA, telemedicine has been growing rapidly because it offers three fundamental benefits:

• Improved Access – For more than 40 years, telemedicine has been used to bring healthcare services to patients in distant locations. Not only does telemedicine improve access to patients, but it also allows physicians and health facilities to expand their reach beyond their own offices.

• Cost Efficiencies – Reducing or containing the cost of healthcare is one of the most important reasons for funding and adopting telehealth technologies. Telemedicine has been shown to reduce the cost of healthcare and increase efficiency through better management of chronic diseases, shared health professional staffing, reduced travel times and fewer or shorter hospital stays.

• Patient Demand – Consumers want telemedicine. The greatest impact of telemedicine is on the patient, their family and their community. Using telemedicine technologies reduces travel time and related stresses to the patient. Over the past 15 years, study after study has documented patient satisfaction and support for telemedical services. Such services offer patients the access to providers that might not be available otherwise as well as medical services without the need to travel long distances.

Companies that provide these services can be accessed on a direct contractual basis with the vendor for the telemedicine services like TelaDoc or AmeriDoc.  Another option would be to access service through a discount medical plan organization (DMPO) that aggregates multiple health services for companies and individuals and administers plans nationwide.

Careington International Corporation is a DMPO that provides this access (please visit www.careington.com to learn more). Through Careington, the telemedicine product can be leased at a very nominal cost on a per employee per month basis and baked into the employee's current health plan benefits. Since the self-funded group is paying claims, this mechanism can serve as a tremendous cost savings to the company even as a non-voluntary offering to employees.

Imagine not having to reimburse a doctor for the expense of an office visit, and your employee doesn't have to miss half of his work day waiting to talk to a physician about getting a prescription. What employer wouldn't jump at this way to save on health care expenses, especially if there are hundreds or thousands of employees?

Telemedicine has measurable cost effective results and the ability to transfer lifesaving data during critical needs diagnosis. Those companies and professionals who make the best use of telemedicine for their practices should see more efficiency on a clinical basis as well as increased profitability and return on investments.

Patients who learn how to access telemedicine points of service have the ability to increase options to manage their health care and are able to save money and time.

Employers, especially those that are self funded, who are looking for ways to help employees save money and time on health care expenses, as well as increase their own profitability, would do well to engage telemedicine as a valuable tool in their overall plan. Plus, employees would keep more money in their wallet by using telemedicine. Imagine not having to pay for a doctor consult, not having to sit in a waiting room for hours, and not having to miss work.

Telemedicine is definitely a winning concept for everyone.