Feds remain reluctant to roll back restrictions on long telephone consults

Another element of the Telehealth discussions should be around the use of "asynchronous communications" . The complexities and time-wasting involved in coordinating patient-clinici an online communications. If the patient is known and has had prior FTF encounters use of, e-communication s and reimbursement should be used. Patients and clinicans' benefit from this form of communication and documentation is a byproduct of the process thus reducing the ambiguity or non-documentati on that commonly occurs. As Prof. L. Weed wrote in 1989: “ The patient may not seem well educated or very bright to you, but what could be more unintelligent than what we are doing?”
We must think of the whole information system, and not just infinitely elaborate on the parts that interests us or fit into a given specialty. Patients do not specialize, and they or their families are in charge of all the relevant variables 24 hours a day, every day. They must be given the right tools to work with. They are the most neglected source of better quality and savings in the whole health care system. After all:
They are highly motivated, and if they are not, nothing works in the long run anyway. They do not charge. They even pay to help.
There is one for every member of the population.”