HMOs are becoming more interested in telemedicine as a way to cut medical costs.
Several companies have pilot test programs.
Patients participating in telemedicine programs are often supplied with machines to take their blood pressure, pulse, etc. and a computer, microphone, and video camera relay these vital signs back to the nurse. Some health advocates are concerned about the quality of care patients receive from contacting just with machines. Most of the money, however, is coming from tech companies paying for ads on other tech companies' sites. The leading ad-supported sites were places like Yahoo and Netscape where users pass through a lot. Article has chart with top advertisers and places they like to advertise.