Resolutions Recent Reports Health-Care On-Ramps: A Road Map to Western States' Information Highways (1998) WGA Telemedicine Action Report (1995) Related Links Universal Service Administrative Company Contact |
ARCHIVE: This page no longer being updated. It is made available for historical reference. (01/01/02) Telemedicine is the use of electronic information and communications technologies to provide and support health care when distance separates the participants. This technology is particularly useful in rural areas where individuals in need of care may be great distances from physicians and specialists. In rural and urban areas, telemedicine also facilitates in-home monitoring of elderly patients or those with chronic conditions. WGA has been active in breaking down legal and policy barriers that inhibit the growth of telemedicine since the publication of the Telemedicine Action Report in June of 1995. In June of 1998, WGA updated the status of the barriers identified in 1995 in its Telemedicine Action Update that was released to the governors at the WGA Annual Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska. The telemedicine barriers WGA identified are:
As opportunities arise, WGA seeks to address these barriers. Although some progress has been made, particularly regarding telecommunications regulation, reimbursement and confidentiality, these barriers remain impediments to the growth of telemedicine. |