A bachelor's program in occupational therapy is scheduled to begin in May at UT Pan American at Edinburg, and much of the program will rely on instruction originating at the Health Science Center. A s an educational vehicle, distance learning lets other universities in South Texas offer courses that otherwise are only available in San Antonio, Houston or Dallas. Many state legislators have determined it is too costly to build another health sciences university in South Texas in the near future. The goal is to make education easily available via distance learning so South Texas will have more and better skilled health-care professionals. In clinical use, telehealth helps provide the specialists who usually are found only in the nation's largest cities.
Questions remain, however.
Health-care insurers as yet do not reimburse physicians for most telehealth services. And changes may be needed in the system of physician licensure. Now we have a question about reimbursement but we also have a question about licensure. Telehealth technology crosses old boundaries, and lets universities serve larger numbers of people. In both classroom and clinical settings, the technology helps distribute expertise and opportunities in areas far from the major cities.