On Thursday, March 13, 2014 the Health IT Now Coalition hosted a policy briefing on Capitol Hill that highlighted the need for modernized telemedicine regulations. Panelists included Joel White, Executive Director of Health IT Now; Hope Warshaw, Diabetes Educator; Dr. Larry Merkel, Psychiatrist at the University of Virginia; and Israel Robledo, a Parkinson’s patient.

Mr. Robledo offered a compelling testimony of how telemedicine can help greatly improve Parkinson’s patient outcomes, but only if we tackled the barriers to progress. Mr. Robledo lives in Texas, but far from the movement specialists that can offer him the best care. Robledo and patients like him should not be forced to travel frequently, hundreds of miles round trip, to see the doctor or specialist they need most.

The panelists each echoed the need for modernized regulations so that telemedicine can continue to enhance care for current patients, as well as growing to help many more across America. Both patients and providers recognize how important it is to connect a patient to the person who can best offer them care, no matter where they are in the U.S. Plus, the practice is only projected to grow in our increasingly connected nation.

Watch our highlights video for clips of our entire panel: