What are the challenges of expanding telemedicine in the U.S.?
Several obstacles stand in the way of the more widespread adoption of telemedicine. For starters, the use of telemedicine technology requires broadband network capabilities, and broadband infrastructure remains elusive for rural clinics and small health care providers. According to the National Broadband Plan, 29% of rural health clinics and 33% of Indian Health Service (IHS) centers lack access to broadband. Deploying telemedicine technologies can be costly, with significant investments in hardware, software and services — not to mention networking infrastructure — often required. In addition, red tape often confronts providers who wish to use telemedicine. As the Center for Telehealth and E-Health Law notes, states are responsible for their own telemedicine licensure laws. Some have adopted less restrictive policies. Others explicitly require providers to have full medical licensure to see a patient in that state. Other states, in taking no action on interstate telehealth licensure
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