Long-distance healthcare cuts costs, can improve outcomes

Telemonitoring and telehealth services are gaining a greater foothold in the increasingly costly healthcare market. The field has spurred a growing interest in home-health strategies that can help curb costs by minimizing office visits and hospitalization. Some say they also lead to better outcomes. "It's been very successful when it's done well in reducing the hospitalization of patients, because you can reach something early," Carol J. Bickford, a senior policy fellow in the department of nursing practice and policy at the American Nursing Association, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.