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A12 HEALTH
Monday 30 noveMber 2020
Teladoc eyes several new phases of growth for telemedicine

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer change your medications and make sure you
Fresh off a big acquisition and riding a wave of are taking (them) and that it's the right dosage.
customer growth, Teladoc Health is ready to do Q: Would the doctor call the patient?
more for patients. A: No, we're going to send you something that
CEO Jason Gorevic said the telemedicine pro- gives you the opportunity to request a visit. And
vider can play a big role in helping people if you're not responding, we may reach out with
manage high blood pressure, diabetes or other a coach who offers to connect you.
chronic conditions. Q: Before the pandemic, one of telemedicine's
Plus he wants customers to think well beyond biggest challenges was making patients re-
primary care when they consider telemedicine, member to use the service when they need it.
which involves care delivered remotely, often What's the next big challenge?
with a live video connection through smart- A: Continuing to make them aware of the
phones or tablets. breadth of conditions that can be treated virtu-
Last month, Teladoc finished a more than $18 ally. What they can get from virtual care is eye-
billion deal to buy the technology company opening to most people.
Livongo. Separately, the telemedicine provid- Q: Outside primary care, name a specialty
er said its total visits have more than doubled primed for telemedicine growth.
to 7.6 million so far this year, as COVID-19 has A: We have a rapidly growing dermatology
pushed more people to try remote care. business. But it goes beyond that. We work with
The 49-year-old Gorevic spoke recently with The hospitals on a variety of cases ranging from on-
Associated Press. The conversation has been cology to cardiology to post-surgical follow up
edited for clarity and length. visits.
Q: You've talked about using the Livongo deal Q: What place does artificial intelligence have
to create whole person virtual care. What will in virtual care? Will patients have basic care
that look like? needs handled by a computer algorithm that
A: You may be somebody with high blood pres- asks questions and gathers data?
sure using a Livongo blood pressure cuff that's A: We think that AI can augment physicians to
uploading data. If you have one day of high help them deliver better care. But we feel very
This is image provided by Teladoc, shows Teladoc blood pressure, we may send you a digital strongly that data science can provide things
CEO Jason Gorevic. Telemedicine provider Teladoc nudge that reminds you, 'Hey, you should make like intelligent health nudges, looking at your
Health wants to play a bigger role in managing pa- sure that you're watching yourself.' If it's high blood sugar levels and reminding you based on
tient care, especially for people with chronic condi- for a week, we may reach out with a coach. whether you had breakfast, hey, maybe going
tions.
Associated Press And if it's high for a few weeks, now we have a out and taking the dog for a walk would be a
doctor who's available to connect and maybe good thing. q
How Biden and Kerry could rebuild America's global climate leadership

Dolf Gielen Colorado spirit of mending relation- such announcements. mestic action to reduce Congress. For example,
School of Mines ships rather than "naming Getting those pledges those emissions will be criti- he could use executive
(The Conversation is an in- and shaming" other coun- implemented is what mat- cal to regaining trust and orders and direct govern-
dependent and nonprofit tries. ters now, and that will re- standing on the global ment agencies to tighten
source of news, analysis Over the past four years, quire leadership, detailed stage. regulations on greenhouse
and commentary from the Trump administration planning and careful di- Energy is at the center of gas emissions; increase re-
academic experts.) pulled the U.S. out of the plomacy. The U.N. climate the climate challenge search and development
Dolf Gielen, Colorado international Paris Agree- conference in November The effects of climate in clean energy technolo-
School of Mines and Mor- ment on climate change, 2021 will be special. It will change are already evi- gies; and empower states
gan Bazilian, Colorado rolled back policies that be the first time countries dent across the globe, to exceed national stan-
School of Mines were designed to cut will evaluate their prog- from extreme heat waves dards, as California did in
(THE CONVERSATION) greenhouse gas emis- ress on the Paris Agree- to sea level rise. the past with auto emis-
John Kerry helped bring sions, and tried to prevent ment, and they will be But while the challenge is sion standards. A focus on
the world into the Paris cli- any discussion of climate expected to strengthen daunting, there is hope. a just and equitable transi-
mate agreement and ex- change at international their commitments. Biden Solar and wind power tion for communities and
panded America's repu- gatherings like the G-7 has already signaled that have become the cheap- people affected by the
tation as a climate leader. and G-20 summits. he will bring the U.S. back est forms of power gener- decline of fossil fuels will
That reputation is now in The international commu- into the agreement as ation globally, and tech- also be key to creating a
tatters, and President- nity, meanwhile, largely soon as he takes office. As nology progress and in- sustainable transition.
elect Joe Biden is asking moved forward. Many energypolicy experts who novation continue apace The U.S. position as the
Kerry to rebuild it again – countries and regions have been involved in in- to support a transition to world's largest oil and gas
this time as climate envoy, have pledged to move ternational climate policy clean energy. producer and consumer
a position Biden plans to their economies toward for over two decades, we In the U.S. under a Biden creates political challeng-
include in the National Se- "net zero" greenhouse gas have watched how coun- administration, long-term es for any administration.
curity Council. emissions by the middle of tries responded to U.S. in- national climate legisla- U.S. forays into European
It won't be easy, but Kerry's the century, including Chi- volvement, and how their tion will depend on who energy security are often
decades of experience na, the European Union, views of America's ability controls the Senate, and treated with suspicion.
and the international re- South Korea and Japan. to lead the world dimmed that won't be clear until Recently, France blocked
lationships he developed An increasing number of over the past four years. after two run-off elections a multi-billion dollar con-
as a senator and secre- cities and states have set The U.S. is the second larg- in Georgia in January. tract to buy U.S. liquefied
tary of state may give him similar goals. Trump's hard- est greenhouse gas emit- But there is no shortage of natural gas because of
a chance of making real line stance may have ac- ter worldwide after China. ideas for ways Biden could concerns about limited
progress, especially if that tually emboldened some, It is also the largest emitter still take action even if his emissions regulations in
work is conducted in the notably China, to make historically. Concrete do- proposals are blocked in Texas.q