A recent study has found that the number of physicians who self-reported telemedicine as a skill doubled between 2015 and 2018 and continues to increase by approximately 20% per year. The data also shows that female physicians were 10% more interested in telemedicine job opportunities, relative to their male counterparts. Doximity, a physician social network, based the findings on job postings within its network.
MHA is a founding member of tMED – the Massachusetts Telemedicine Coalition – which is advocating for: parity in insurance coverage for telemedicine services on par with in-person treatment; a flexible definition of telemedicine that recognizes the adoption of new technologies that are being used to provide care; and streamlining the credentialing process for Massachusetts-licensed clinicians using telemedicine services within the state to reduce the paperwork burden for providers. Telemedicine is a tool that healthcare providers, payers, patients, and employers can use to improve access to care for patients, improve health outcomes for chronic illnesses, reduce costs for patients seeking in-person medical visits, keep employees productive at their jobs, and allow children to stay in the classroom instead of taking time out to travel to and from medical care.