James Sylora, MD, presented “Telehealth in Urology” during the 29th Annual International Prostate Cancer Update on January 25, 2019 in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
How to cite: Sylora, James “Telehealth in Urology” January 25, 2019. Accessed Apr 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/tele-health-in-urology/
Telehealth in Urology
James A. Sylora, MD, discusses the increasing demand for telemedicine services and the advantages it provides to patients and clinical practices. He outlines steps, as well as practical and legal considerations, for establishing a telemedicine protocol in a practice.
Abstract:
Telemedicine is the application of technology to create communication channels between healthcare providers and patients in remote locations. Given advances in software technology, telemedicine has now entered the mainstream. The Veterans Administration has more than 1.2 million telemedicine visits per year, serving over 690,000 patients across 44 specialties in 2014.
Patients are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are demanding telemedicine services. Already, virtual hospitals and virtual emergency rooms are emerging around the country. Patients can obtain second opinions on their diagnosis and treatment plans by searching the internet to find a telemedicine provider. Generally, patients seeking these services tend to be younger, college-educated, and have expressed satisfaction with telemedicine visits.
The federal government continues to expand the types of providers that can administer telemedicine visits and the number of procedure codes eligible for reimbursement. Medicaid and private insurance companies will examine this trend and are likely to follow suit. Trade associations such as the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) are advocating for the expansion of telemedicine. Therefore, it is incumbent upon practices to examine this new service line and implement it into their practice.
About the International Prostate Cancer Update
The International Prostate Cancer Update (IPCU) is an annual, multi-day CME conference focused on prostate cancer treatment updates. The conference’s faculty consists of international experts, and the event caters to urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other healthcare professionals. Topics encompass prostate cancer management, from diagnosis to treating advanced and metastatic disease. Dr. Sylora presented this lecture during the 29th IPCU in 2019. Please visit this page in order to learn more about future IPCU meetings.
