From Leather Bags to Webcams, the Emerging Tools of Tele-primary Care

For many years, the physician’s leather bag has been an essential component of the primary care physician’s armamentarium—used for holding everything needed for house calls and symbolizing the physician’s craft. As the availability and technology of telemedicine increases, the leather bag is expanding to include a laptop and webcam. Currently, 79 million Americans live in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and healthcare costs the USA $3.5 trillion annually. Therefore, innovations, such as telehealth, with the potential to deliver high-quality care to greater numbers at lower cost must be further explored. While optimal scope and structure are yet to be determined, high-quality telemedicine care is an opportunity to reach more patients and should stretch beyond urgent care to become an important tool for primary care providers.

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