Hospital Network Embraces Telemedicine
Telemedicine services offerings continue to rise as not only employers, but also hospital systems step up to meet the demand for convenient and cost-effective care. Mercer’s latest National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans saw a significant increase in telemedicine offerings among large employers, from 18% in 2014 to 30% in 2015. Spectrum Health, a hospital system in west Michigan, now offers their own telemedicine solution, MedNow, which replaces MDLive, one of the more prevalent telehealth providers in the industry. They cited the need for a more “comprehensive offering” and the need for physicians to “have access to patients’ electronic medical records” as the key reasons for bringing this service in-house. Inside the article, Mick Young from Mercer’s Grand Rapids office comments on the growth of telemedicine as an employer offering, particularly as a strategy to impact rising medical claim costs.
Go to full article: mibiz.com