Telehealth

Thanks to a bill proposed by State Rep. Kathy Swan of Cape Girardeau, medical personnel across Missouri will have more ways to deal with an expected influx of patients due to the Affordable Health Care Act.

Language from Swan's House Bill 936 was added during the legislative session ended May 17 in the Senate as an amendment to House Bill 315, recently signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon.

The law will allow nurse practitioners to treat patients under a doctor's supervision using electronic forms of communication, such as phone, email or video. The practice is commonly referred to as "telehealth."

Many are worried that the Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will cause a doctor shortage as more people have access to health care beginning in 2014. It remains to be seen what kind of pressure Obamacare will put on doctors to keep up with demand from patients, but Swan's telehealth provision will no doubt help. Previously, nurse practitioners were restricted from traveling more than 50 miles from their collaborating physician to provide health care.

Swan said the telehealth collaboration allowed by law has a six-year period before a sunset occurs so legislators see how well the methods are working.

No opposition to Swan's bill was heard when the bill was introduced in the House.

Swan said once the physicians' questions were answered and they understood the nurse would physically see the patient and communicate with the doctor, the bill gained full support from medical industry interests.

Some may be concerned about the quality of care regarding telemedicine. As we understand it, electronic methods of communication won't be used to diagnose patients, but will prove valuable when patients go in for checkups when dealing with chronic illnesses.

The sunset provision is smart. It will be worth monitoring to see how effective telehealth becomes. For now, it seems like a sensible approach.