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The Growth of Iowa Telemedicine

Polycom Telemedicine at the HC 2011 Conference, Birmingham

Telemedicine is the remote delivery of healthcare services including using new technologies like video streaming. This method has been growing in use in recent years, and the topic was the subject of a panel discussion earlier this month at the Iowa Ideas Conference in Cedar Rapids. It was moderated by River to River host Ben Kieffer.

Panelists include Dr. Tim Sagers of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Dr. Tim Blair of Van Buren County Hospital, Dr. Nicholas Mohr of the University of Iowa, and Kate Klefstad and Eric Einwalter of the Signal Center for Health Innovation at University of Iowa Health Ventures.  

Sagers says that, "anybody that's living in modern healthcare that doesn't think this becomes a big piece of how we deliver care has their head in the sand." 

The panel discusses the challenges in delivery and reimbursement, as well as some hopes for the future of telemedicine.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River