Lancaster Physician Fall 2017 - 29

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Telemedicine

However, in June, State Senator Elder
Vogel (R-Beaver) introduced legislation
calling for lawmakers to "define key components of telemedicine, set telemedicine
licensing requirements, and require that
healthcare payers provide reimbursement
for telemedicine services if they pay for
the same service in person."
A house companion bill also was introduced.
Turkel said he is confident that, when
it becomes apparent that telemedicine can
provide quality care at lower costs, insurers
will come on board.
"I just think that the models haven't
caught up," he said.
Another deterrent to the use of telemedicine could be that prospective patients do
not have access to the equipment necessary
to facilitate it.

However, insurance companies in some
cases will pay for the equipment, and that
coverage could increase.
Telemedicine will never replace personal,
hands-on medical care, experts agree, but
it is invaluable for filling in gaps of care
and giving patients who do not have access
to specialized care the services they need.
With telemedicine, specialized care can
be delivered to more patients-meeting
them where they live and work.
"When you need specialized care, the
ideal circumstance is having the best
professional right there with you in the
room," Turkel said. "But, from a community standpoint, it's better to have
that physician in a central location with
access to information regarding a number
of patients."

Letner, who serves on a state committee focused on telemedicine, said the
technology is still in the early stages, and
he expects it to expand to include an
increasing number of applications.
"Think about how the world has
changed in terms of banking and travel
and entertainment," he said. "I tell people
that I use a bank I never go to. Medicine
will always have a need for personal
patient-physician interaction, but the use
of telemedicine is going to explode. And,
when you start to dive into the possibilities,
it's really exciting."

one step ahead
We're proud to welcome foot and ankle specialist
Thomas I. Sherman, M.D. to our practice.
A graduate from Bucknell University and Drexel University College of Medicine,
Dr. Sherman completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital in Washington, DC.
In addition to his extensive training in general orthopedic care, Dr. Sherman
received specialized fellowship training in Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery at
the world-renowned Union Memorial Hospital. OAL is proud to join Dr. Sherman
and his wealth of experience in providing high level patient care.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sherman, please call 717-299-4871.
Or visit us online at fixbones.com.

Thomas I. Sherman, M.D.

LANCASTER

29

PHYSICIAN
http://www.fixbones.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Fall 2017
