Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 19 July 2019
Skyping the doctor? Poll shows it's not just for the young

By LAURAN NEERGAARD to see a doctor for 15 min-
EMILY SWANSON utes," said Don Withey of
Associated Press Cortland, New York, who
WASHINGTON (AP) — Every helps his 92-year-old father
morning, 92-year-old Sid- and 89-year-old mother
ney Kramer wraps a blood get to their appointments.
pressure cuff around his But, "we don't know much
arm and steps on a scale, more about it other than
and readings of his heart the fact you can talk to a
health beam to a team of doctor over the computer
nurses — and to his daugh- or smartphone."
ter's smartphone — miles Just 12 percent of adults
from his Maryland home. say they wouldn't use any
Red flags? A nurse imme- form of telemedicine.
diately calls, a form of tele- There are concerns. More
medicine that is helping than 30 percent of people
Kramer live independently worry about privacy or the
by keeping his congestive security or health informa-
heart failure under tight tion. About half fear that
control. telemedicine could lead to
"It's reassuring both psycho- lower-quality care, the poll
logically and physically. found.
The way he's put it to me, In this May 29, 2018, photo, Sidney Kramer, 92, uses a remote medical monitoring system to check "It's not about having a
it's like having a doctor ap- his vital signs at his home in Bethesda, Md. video screen or Skype in
pointment every morning," Associated Press the home or even a blood
said Miriam Dubin, Kramer's pressure cuff in the home.
daughter. tors, telemedicine is gain- pands Medicare cover- adults of all ages would be It's about the team that's
The vast majority of older ing ground with tech-savvy age for such options as comfortable with a video behind it and the clini-
Americans and their care- younger consumers — they video visits to diagnose visit via Skype or FaceTime cians who are supporting
givers are ready to give text their physician with stroke symptoms or check to discuss medications, for the care of that patient,"
virtual health care a try: questions or Skype with a on home dialysis patients. ongoing care of a chronic said Rachel DeSantis, chief
Nearly 9 in 10 adults ages mild complaint. For seniors Also, Medicare Advantage illness or even for an urgent of staff at Johns Hopkins
40 and over would be with chronic illnesses or mo- programs used by a third of health concern. Home Care Group, which
comfortable using at least bility problems that make beneficiaries can start of- In fact, adults 40 and older provides the 92-year-old
one type of telemedicine simply reaching a doctor's fering additional telehealth are just as open to at least Kramer's remote monitor-
for themselves or an aging office an ordeal, telehealth options. some forms of telemedicine ing.
loved one, says a new poll could be more than a "While the interest is huge, as those under 40, with one The Hopkins program pro-
from The Associated Press- convenience. The graying one of the big barriers re- exception: The older crowd vides no-cost monitoring
NORC Center for Public Af- population is raising serious mains reimbursement," is slightly less comfortable for a month or two to se-
fairs Research. questions about how the said Johns Hopkins Univer- discussing health care by lect high-risk patients after
But they want to make sure nation will provide enough sity telemedicine chief Dr. text. a hospitalization because
that an e-visit or other re- quality long-term care. Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, who Among caregivers, 87 research found it reduces
mote care is just as good as But while private insurance has turned to grants to percent say they'd be in- their chances of readmis-
they'd get in person, and increasingly covers certain help fund such services as terested in using at least sion.
that their health informa- services such as a video telepsychiatry for demen- one form of telemedicine When the monitor record-
tion stays private, accord- visit, seniors have had a tia patients. The new law for that person's medical ed Kramer's weight creep-
ing to the survey released harder time because Medi- "is really a huge step in the needs. ing up one week, nurses
Thursday. care tightly restricts what it right direction. It certainly "I think the parents would immediately knew it was
Long considered an op- will pay for. doesn't cover everything." be happier at home in- fluid build-up, a heart fail-
tion mainly for improving That's starting to change, Costs are a major issue for stead of being in the doc- ure symptom that needed
access to health care in with a law Congress people who need ongo- tor's office waiting an hour quick treatment.q
rural areas with few doc- passed last winter that ex- ing living assistance. Less
than a third of adults age
40 and over have set aside
any money for their future
long term care needs, the
AP-NORC survey shows,
and more than half mistak-
enly think they'll be able to
rely on Medicare to help
cover nursing care or home
health aides.
Telemedicine will have to
replace in-person care, not
add to it, to help with those
costs, cautioned Zimmer-
Galler.
As access for seniors prom-
In this May 29, 2018, photo, Sidney Kramer, 92, checks his weight ises to grow, the AP-NORC In this May 29, 2018, photo, Sidney Kramer, 92, points to his note-
while using a remote medical monitoring system to check his vi- Center poll shows wide- book he uses to help him keep track of vital signs after using a
tal signs at his home in Bethesda, Md. spread interest in tele- remote medical monitoring system at his home in Bethesda, Md.
Associated Press Associated Press
health. More than half of