Digital tools let doctors see patients via Internet

Telemedicine is becoming increasingly commonplace due to factors including a looming physician shortage, the healthcare reform debate, and the increasing willingness of insurance companies to pay for the practice. Universities, technology companies, and hospital systems have been experimenting with telehealth since the 1990s. And a major insurance provider—UnitedHealthcare of Minnesota—recently announced a national push to persuade its network of professionals to adopt telehealth for their patients, according to the Baltimore Sun.