Living in a remote or rural community is a known risk factor for developing – or exacerbating – a substance use disorder. And of course, there’s the problem of limited access to treatment.
Implementing technology to improve substance use disorder services is the theme of this year’s technology summit, hosted by the University of Nevada’s National Frontier and Rural Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NFAR-ATTC). The summit will be held July 26-28, at the Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno.
“Should I stay or should I go?” So go the lyrics from the English punk rock band, The Clash, in a song about one couple’s dilemma over whether to stay together or break up.
The same question might just as well apply to another dilemma—this one pertaining to people considering treatment for substance abuse. At a time when telemedicine is revolutionizing mental health services, bringing talk therapy into the home via online videoconferencing and other mobile technologies, is it better to travel for treatment or stay put?
We all know that telehealth is driven by the desire to make affordable healthcare available to anyone, anytime, anywhere, and that advances in technology have facilitated the effort. But what powers telehealth and even healthcare general? At the American Telemedicine Association’s Annual Meeting (April 23-25, 2017 in Orlando, FL) the answer was clear – women!
As the old saying goes, you win some, and you lose some. Well, I’m pretty sure that most of us would rather be on the “win some” side of the equation, especially when it comes to telemedicine grants. The good news is, there are plenty of grant opportunities out there, including the US Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA Telehealth Network Grant Program, the US Department of Agriculture’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant, and opportunities through state agencies and foundations. But how do you position yourself for success? Let’s start with some tips on writing a successful telemedicine grant proposal:
The year is 2030 and the days of small practices are coming to a tragic end, as the virtual capabilities of large and innovative health systems have become integrated into the lives of patients worldwide. Patient monitoring is constant, blending into the lifestyles of patients who have grown accustom to an emerging world of integrated healthcare in consumer technology. Healthcare has finally reached the golden age of patient empowerment and engagement in no small part due to telemedicine.