In the recently-revealed National Broadband Plan (download the full PDF here), the FCC lays out it’s vision for the future of data and communications. Prominent in this vision: dramatic advances in healthcare technology. Along with Healthcare IT and Electronic Medical Records, they outline ambitious goals for various types of distance medicine: telemedicine, broadband and video consultation, and e-prescribing.
One the primary goals of the healthcare recommendations, quoted from the report, pg 199:
“Create appropriate incentives for e-care utilization
Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services(HHS) should consider developing a strategy that documents the proven value of e-care technologies, proposes reimbursement reforms that incent their meaningful use and charts a path for their widespread adoption.”
Another section discusses the benefits of “Broadband and Video Consultations,” along with Store-and-Forward technologies, where a patient’s consult data can be reviewed remotely for diagnosis and treatment decisions (pg 201).
Also from the report, pg 206:
“E-prescribing
Congress and states should consider lifting restrictions that limit broader acceptance of electronic prescribing…”
We are pleased that a federal agency agrees with our position, that our online medical services represent the future of medicine. At KwikMed, we have been developing our systems with secure Electronic Medical Records, Store-and-Forward Consultations, and e-Prescribing for several years. We firmly believe that a significant percentage of doctor visits and treatments can be safely conducted with an online interaction. We have gone to great efforts to ensure the legality and safety of our services, but we still experience resistance from various lobbying groups and some traditionalists who do not understand the value of our advanced technologies. This report from the FCC may begin to change the tide and clear the way for us to receive legal approval to provide even more medical care products and services in the future.