REPOST: ObamaCare, Doctor Shortage To Spur $2 Billion Telehealth Market

Bruce Japsen of Forbes discusses the predicted boom in the U.S. telehealth market which is driven by healthcare sector dynamics ranging from physician shortages to changes in the Affordable Care Act.

A new report from information and analytics firm IHS says the business of telehealth, or remote patient monitoring, will boom to a $2 billion US market thanks in part to the Affordable Care Act and a looming doctor shortage.

 Image Source: forbes.com

The business of treating patients via telehealth in the U.S. will dramatically increase to nearly $2 billion in revenue within five years due to a confluence of events in the health care industry from doctor shortages to provider payment changes under the Affordable Care Act.

A new report from information and analytics firm IHS IHS -0.08% says revenue expansion of the teleheath space — which allows doctors and other providers to monitor patients remotely via various devices, computers and related digital technology – will grow to $1.9 billion in 2018 in the U.S. from $240 million this year.

The trend toward telehealth will be driven by employers, private insurers and the Affordable Care Act, which makes doctors and hospitals more accountable by moving medical care providers away from fee-for-service medicine where they are paid based on volume of services to reimbursement based on the value of care they provide. This trend often uses doctors as a quarterback of sorts in concert with nurses and other allied health professionals to keep patients out of the hospital where care is more expensive.

“The majority of these patients are diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases and diabetes and most of them are enrolled in post-discharge services of an average of 30-90 days,” said Roeen Roashan, IHS analyst for consumer medical devices and digital health.

This will increase the patient volume toward these services to more than 3.2 million patients in 2018 from less than 250,000 this year. Meanwhile, the value of the U.S. telehealth market will reach $1.9 billion in 2018 compared to about $230 million today, IHS’ Roashan said. That’s a cumulative annual growth rate of more than 56 percent.

Companies that stand to benefit from this market include: Genetral Electric (GE), Intel INTC -0.39%(INTC), Honeywell (HON), McKesson MCK -0.24%(MCK) and Medtronic MDT -0.12% (MDT).

“Telehealth has been limited in its growth potential in the past due to low reimbursement, lack of physician support, and poor cases of implementation,” Roashan said. “However, we are witnessing changes in the regulatory environment that will increase reimbursement and also more physicians are supporting the idea behind telehealth. In doing so, there are many examples of best practice implementations.”

Health insurance companies as well as state Medicaid insurance programs for the poor and the federal Medicare health insurance program for the elderly are contracting with doctors and hospitals, bundling payments and reimbursing them in ways that encourage quality care and a push for better outcomes through entities like accountable care organizations (ACOs).

If the ACO — which contracts through provider groups with the insurer — reduces costs while improving quality, the providers keep some of the savings.  That is different than payment today that encourages excessive treatment by paying by procedure.

“Telehealth is about increasing the quality of healthcare, in an efficient way,” Roashan said. “Telehealth is proven to decrease readmission rates significantly, while increasing the patient’s perception of quality by keeping the patient at home.

Visit this Facebook page on Doug Sparks for more news and insights on issues affecting the healthcare industry.

REPOST: Fit after 50: Physical therapists can help

Karen Wik, guest columnist to the Citizen Times, writes about how physical therapy could enhance efforts to stay fit in old age.

Image source: citizen-times.com

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres famously stated, “Never put an age limit on your dreams.”

During this past summer, Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Florida at age 64.

Every year, many men and women age 50 and older participate in every imaginable team sport and physical activity, running marathons and participating in Iron Man competitions.

We draw inspiration from these individuals, in our communities and in the international news, because they show us what is possible. They create hope that, with care and dedication, we can all continue to live out our dreams later in life.

In honor of this being National Physical Therapy Month, the American Physical Therapy Association is encouraging us to stay “Fit After 50.” Whether your dreams are to hike the Appalachian Trail, avoid a hip replacement surgery or spend a pain-free day playing with your grandchildren, a local physical therapist can help you shape and meet those goals.

Although fitness and activity goals vary, physical therapists are highly trained to design safe, effective treatment plans for a wide spectrum of patients. Physical therapists address chronic or acute back pain, perhaps caused by hours spent perfecting a golf swing or years on the tennis court, by assessing musculoskeletal imbalances.

An individualized treatment plan that includes manual therapy, strengthening or other interventions aim to eliminate the painful symptoms and prevent their reoccurrence.

Sports-specific strength, conditioning and flexibility programs can be custom-designed for patients with dreams of running their first marathons. Some individuals simply dream of regaining fundamental skills like walking to and from the mailbox without pain.

Physical therapists treat the whole person by integrating special tests for balance, range of motion, cardiovascular and neurological functions, muscle strength and joint mobility in order to set realistic goals for individuals recovering from trauma or disease.

Movement restrictions don’t always have to be roadblocks or create fear about being more active.

The aging process involves marked physiological changes, but chronic pain or risk of injury does not need to go hand in hand with being an active adult. Clinical research-based practices help physical therapists stay current and effective in the arenas of pain management and injury prevention.

If you feel sidelined from achieving your goals because of overuse injuries, or have been out of the game for a while and have fears about how your body will respond to new challenges, a local physical therapist can help.


So this month stop defining your abilities by your age — after all, it’s just a number — and start dreaming big.

 A former investment banker, Doug Sparks started Doctors Physical Therapy, a company that focuses on helping doctors, hospitals, and health practices find and contract independent physical therapists.  Visit this Twitter page for more updates on physical therapy.