Technology and Health Care Paper
Darlinda Smith
HCS/531
March 11, 2013
Eugene Burwell

Technology and Health Care Paper
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how technology has impacted the health care delivery system. Health care technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate in the United States, and globally. Patients and providers are witnessing these changes through the use of telehealth, and telemedicine applications. Telehealth, and telemedicine are often used interchangeably, however there is a difference between the two applications. Telehealth is the use of technology to deliver health care, health information, or health education at a distance (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.).
Live Health Online is an internet based communication tool intended to facilitate health care services rendered by physicians to the consumer. The consumer can talk to doctors seven days a week through videoconferencing, secure chat, or telephone (American Well Corporation, 2011). The e-visits are approximately 10 minutes long, and cost $49.00 per e-visit. E-visits are not design to provide care for emergency health conditions. It is an alternative way for consumers to seek treatment for non-emergent conditions, such as a cold, sinusitis, headache, etc. A consumers’ reason for using Live Health Online can vary, but typically individuals use the service, because it is convenient.
Socio-economic and Ethical impact of Telemedicine
From a quality-of-life perspective, telemedicine allows consumers in different areas of the country to be monitored by physicians. From an economic standpoint, the induction of telemedicine into the community can have many benefits, such as significant savings to both the provider and the patient that participate in telemedicine. These savings take the form of reduced provider payments for services rendered through the use of telemedicine, less time spent travelling to appointments for both the physician, and patient, and a reduction in emergency visit by the patient.