Thanks to telemedicine , a surge of medical professionals are effectively delivering health care to patients over long distances . “It's like paying a monthly fee for all-you-can-eat asynchronous curbside consults, which is really great, especially in rural areas like where I am,” he says. They are saving patients time and money by replacing an in - office visit with a virtual encounter via phone , internet , or computer for common ailments . Hospitals are staffing “ trauma centers ” with specialty care teams who are responsible for monitoring sick patients in short - staffed rural intensive care units ( ICUs ) .
Thanks to telemedicine , a surge of medical professionals are effectively delivering health care to patients over long distances . They are saving patients time and money by replacing an in - office visit with a virtual encounter via phone , internet , or computer for common ailments . Hospitals are staffing “ trauma centers ” with specialty care teams who are responsible for monitoring sick patients in short - staffed rural intensive care units ( ICUs ) .