He feels that technology offers many solutions to this challenge while enhancing both patients and providers. The mechanisms of change are difficult and often painfully slow. Education lubricates the process. Georgia offered the first statewide telemedical program in the United States. Unfortunately, it is a T-1 point to point system with low, although growing utilization.
Registration is by email and the only cost to attendees is that of the connecting phone call.
Multiple benefits have been reported to us. Jim, tell me a little more about the Georgia Telemedicine Association and how it developed. An early expert was Mr. Jeff Dunbar, who now is at Triad Technologies. He arranged the formative meeting in conjunction with a Medical Association of Georgia meeting in Nov of 1996. At that meeting the reasons for such a group was brought into focus, goals formulated and interests of each person expressed.