Percentage of Visits for ILI Reported by the U.S. Outpatient ILI Surveillance Network, Weekly National Summary, 2020-2021 and Selected Previous Seasons INFLUENZA-LIKE (ILI) VISITS
WEEK
Telemedicine found its start as soon as video communication took root. One of the earliest examples was around 1960, when a closed-circuit television connection was made between the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and the Norfolk State Hospital. This was used for psychiatric evaluations. The HIMSS Conference (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is a global conference for health care technology that I’ve attended many times. At the 2000 conference, over half of the vendor exhibitions were occupied by “telemedicine” providers – and that was 21 years ago. Even before the pandemic, many telemedicine and digital health care solutions were in use. From 2010 to 2020, an estimated $55 billion was invested in startup health care tech companies. In the first half of 2021, digital health investments approached $15 billion, driven by telehealth solutions. The pandemic rocketed telehealth into our living rooms overnight.
illness, etc., the flu costs the overall economy much more. A 2007 study found the U.S. economy was negatively impacted by the flu by $90 billion. A 2014 study estimated the flu’s cost at $87 billion. And a 2017 study with a narrowed scope estimated economic impact at $45.3 billion. Let’s call the overall impact to GDP about $50 billion. If half of this can be prevented with vaccines and better hygiene, all of us will have more cash in our pockets to spend, save, and push the economy forward.
THE DOCTORWILL SEE YOU NOW (ON YOUR PHONE) Leveraging technology to improve doctor- patient interaction has been a goal for decades...
American Consequences
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