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Show Conclusion The development of telemedicine systems in rural health care facilities and offices is crucial to the future of rural health care institutions and providers in Utah. For rural providers, telemedicine has been shown to reduce isolation by (1) making them part of a larger consulting team, (2) assisting in creating and supporting geographically-removed back-up call systems, (3) being a convenient, cost-effective, and highly relevant form of CME, and (4) expanding the scope of services offered locally. Telemedicine has been found to broaden training of generalists in basic specialists procedures and reduce unnecessary referrals to specialists. In addition to providing direct benefits to rural providers and residents, telemedicine can also increase financial viability of rural health care institutions by increasing the level and scope of care that can be offered locally. This allows more patients to receive care locally without going to urban areas, thus retaining the revenue at a local institution and alleviating travel costs and inconvenience to patients. In the foreseeable future, telemedicine systems could be as common as telephone systems are now. Already Medicaid and Medicare are moving towards electronic billing and reimbursement of services. Without such systems, rural health care providers and institutions will be operating at a serious disadvantage in the future health care market. With telemedicine systems, rural residents can participate with the health care systems of the future. About the Author Janet Root received her BA and MA degrees in Biology from San Francisco State University, with emphases in Marine Biology and Biochemistry, respectively. She earned her PhD in Health Education from the University of Utah. Her past positions include managing a research project on women's reproductive health at the University of Utah, employment as a laboratory technician, and teaching math, science, and health at the high school level. She is currently a Primary Care/Rural Health Coordinator at the Utah Department of Health, where her duties include organizing a telemedicine interest group.___________________________ References Alston, L. T. 1993. Telehealth: Telecommunications technology and rural health care: Summary of conference proceedings. Texas Journal of Rural Health, First Quarter; 1-9. Borow, W. 1993. Medical television, prescription for progress. Journal of the American Medical Association. 270, 1601-1602. Collins, J.M., and Charboneau, W., 1993. Long distance procedures: Legal, licensing and reimbursement issues, in Proceedings of the Mayo Telemedicine Symposium, October 1-3, 1993. pp 56-60. Kansas Telemedicine Policy Group. 1993. Telemedicine: Assessing the Kansas Environment. Vol. I. The role of telemedicine in health care delivery. 1993. Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita, Kansas, pp. 109. Kansas Telemedicine Policy Group. 1993. Telemedicine Assessing the Kansas Environment, Vol II: Telemedicine Policy Issues. Kansas Health Foundation. Wichita, Kansas, pp. 1-35. Kansas Telemedicine Policy Group. 1993. Telemedicine Assessing the Kansas Environment. Vol HI. Kansas Health Foundation. Wichita, Kansas, pp. 1 - 99. Preston, J., 1993. Cost effectiveness: A telemedicine rural study, in Proceedings of the Mayo Telemedicine Symposium, October 1-3, 1993. Mayo Continuing Medical Education. Rochester, Minnesota, pp. 62-72. Proceedings of the Mayo Telemedicine Symposium, October 1-3, 1993. Mayo Continuing Medical Education. Rochester, Minnesota, pp. 238. Reid, J. 1993. Telemedicine in Montana, will it happen? In Proceedings of the Mayo Telemedicine Symposium. Mayo Continuing Medical Education; Rochester, Minnesota, pp. 73-84. Utah's Health: An Annual Review 1994 101 |