5 Innovators in Telemedicine You Should Know
There is only one constant in the world of medicine: change. There are many new technologies, methods, discoveries, and advancements taking place in the field every single day, but there are some people who deserve a nod for innovations in telemedicine that go above and beyond the average progress. Here are five of the top innovators in telemedicine to know.
1. Yulun Wang, PhD
Dr. Wang is the Chairman, Founder, and Chief Innovation Officer of InTouch Health. His experience in helping build the telehealth industry gives him an incredible perspective when it comes to key telehealth trends.
InTouch Health grew from its beginnings in 2002 as a pioneering venture with telestroke for stroke care to a leading telehealth company that provides reliable, dedicated, cloud-based virtual care solutions for patients and providers, along with healthcare systems. The company supports over 2,400 care locations across the globe, including many of the top 20 health systems as telehealth is deployed on an increasingly popular basis across enterprises.
InTouch Health was included in the Best in KLAS: Software & Services report from KLAS Research, and was recognized as the Category Leader for Virtual Care Platforms in both 2018 and 2019.
2. Eric Rock
Vivify Health’s Eric Rock is the successful founder of three software companies. In 2009, he launched Vivify Health, which delivered the first cloud-based remote care management platform that connected patients and providers via mobile devices. Today, the system is used by organizations in healthcare that represent more than 800 health plans and hospitals around the globe.
Prior to Vivify, Rock founded a leading emergency department solution used in more than 500 hospitals called MEDHOST. This was the first touchscreen EMR. Rock’s first successful endeavor, however, was ProHost, the first restaurant table management and reservation system, which was ultimately acquired by OpenTable.com. He continues to focus on business strategies and emerging technologies for healthcare facilities around the world.
3. Dr. Edward Brown
Dr. Brown is the former President of ATA, and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). The OTN is one of the most active and largest integrated telehealth networks in the world, and Dr. Brown has won several awards for his work in telemedicine.
He is an emergency physician who studied engineering and mathematics before starting his medical career. Dr. Brown remains a vigilant advocate of telehealth being a tool used to improve quality of care, access to care, and the sustainability of health systems around the globe.
4. Aimee Peters
Peters is the Chief Clinical Officer at AbleTo, a company that offers next-day access remotely to a nationwide network of therapists and behavioral coaches. Her company uses prescription, behavioral health, and medical claims to identify and engage patients in need of therapy programs.
These programs are proven to help reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in patients – and it’s all done via telehealth. “The remote delivery of care, as well as the structured clinical protocols used by our therapists and coaches really, allow folks to stay focused on goals and measurable progress,” said Peters.
The virtual platform supports a customized, high-quality experience for therapy patients that attracts high-quality therapists and coaches. With its programs, AbleTo reports a 50% decrease in depressive severity in patients, as well as significant improvements in patients’ work productivity and activity.
5. Sue Schade
Schade is the former CHIME-HIMSS CIO of the Year and current principal at StarBridge Advisors. She has worked with major health systems with strategies and priorities for implementing virtual care capabilities, some of which include the University of Michigan Health System, Stony Brook Medicine, and Partners HealthCare.
She is a huge proponent of telehealth as a valuable tool for patient engagement not only in rural settings but in any setting, especially when transportation is a huge hindrance to people receiving traditional care. Perhaps the biggest obstacle that health systems face when it comes to telemedicine is getting it all planned, organized, and started, and this is precisely where Schade comes in. She travels all over the country getting these virtual care programs off the ground, launching them toward success to reach out to patients who otherwise might not receive proper care.
Ultimately, the world of telehealth and telemedicine is one that serves its patients in a way that is comfortable, convenient, efficient, thorough, and accurate. These are just a handful of the leaders in the industry who see the limitless potential that telehealth has to offer, working to make healthcare more accessible to everyone than it ever has been before.