Omaha, NE (September 17, 2015) - Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services through two-way video, email and smartphones, among other forms of telecommunications technology, according to the American Telemedicine Association. Healthcare staffing agency, Aureus Medical Group, explains how telemedicine is becoming a solution to ease the healthcare shortage.

The terms telemedicine and telehealth are sometimes a source of confusion because at times they are used synonymously and at other times considered to be have separate definitions. The ATA considers these words to be interchangeable.

This method of care is particularly useful when implemented in rural areas, where the shortage of hospital staff is heightened, placing more pressure on the respective physicians, nurses, and healthcare staff.

Addressing medical staffing in rural regionsNearly 16 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, though only 11 percent of physicians practice in rural locations. This results in roughly 65 percent of the primary care health professional shortage areas to be classified as rural, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration.

“While the long-term solution to the physician shortage may involve making changes in our system of medical education, telemedicine has the promise to increase our provider capacity in the relatively immediate future,” Adam C. Powell, president of Payer+Provider Syndicate, a healthcare consulting company, said in an interview with Becker’s Hospital Review.

The implementation of telemedicine provides primary care and specialist referral services, remote patient monitoring, medical education, and consumer medical and health information. These services, in turn, serve essential functions that tackle healthcare needs. Here are a few ways telemedicine eases the healthcare shortage:

Widespread accessThe technologies used to deliver telemedicine services increase service to millions of new patients, according to the ATA. This concurrently serves as a way to connect patients with international physicians who would otherwise be inaccessible.

Read the full article for more ways telemedicine eases the healthcare shortage.

About Aureus Medical Group:

Aureus Medical Group is a national leader in healthcare staffing specializing in the successful placement of Nursing, Advanced Practice, Cardiopulmonary, Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Laboratory, Neurodiagnostics, Radiation Oncology, and Rehabilitation Therapy professionals, as well as Physicians, in hospitals and medical facilities nationwide.  With more than 30 years of experience, Aureus Medical offers a full range of staffing options, including national contract (travel), local contract, and direct hire.  Aureus Medical is the largest affiliate of Omaha-based C&A Industries, a leading provider of human capital management solutions for more than 45 years.