IN THIS ARTICLE
• ACP: Telemedicine in Primary Care Settings
• AAP: Binge Drinking Among Adolescents
• Management of Primary Immunodeficiency
• Atopic Dermatitis in Children
• Obesity Treatment in Primary Care
• Management of Chronic Kidney Disease
ACP: TELEMEDICINE IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS
Daniel H, Sulmasy, LS. Policy recommendations to guide the use of telemedicine in primary care settings: an American College of Physicians position paper. Ann Intern Med. [Epub ahead of print September 8, 2015]. doi:10.7326/M15-0498.
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued policy recommendations to guide the use of telemedicine in primary care settings, along with clinician considerations for those who use telemedicine and policy recommendations on the practice and reimbursement of telemedicine. ACP’s position is that telemedicine can potentially be a beneficial and important part of the future of health care delivery; however, it also stresses the importance of balancing the benefits of telemedicine against the potential risks for patients. Among the ACP position statements and recommendations are:
• ACP believes that a valid patient-provider relationship must be established for a professionally responsible telemedicine service to take place.
• ACP recommends the telehealth activities address the needs of all patients without disenfranchising financially disadvantaged populations or those with low literacy or low technologic literacy.
ACP believes that clinicians should use their professional judgment about whether the use of telemedicine is appropriate for a patient.
COMMENTARY
The issue of professional judgment about when it is sufficient to see a patient using a digital interface will ultimately determine the safety and effectiveness of telemedicine. It is a mode of health care delivery that was nonexistent just a few years ago and now has an estimated annual growth rate of 20% per year, with an expected 7 million visits per year by 2018. The potential advantages include health savings, convenience, and the potential to deliver specialized services to people who might otherwise not have access to them. In addition, the use of telemedicine as a part of case-management and patient follow-up has shown promise. In this era of ever-changing technologies, we need to embrace new modes of care with skeptical open arms and be honest about the potential benefits as well as the risks.
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