Monday, April 13, 2009

Telemedicine Defies Slowdown

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is witnessing its strongest growth in history for their upcoming annual meeting in April despite the nationwide trend toward decreased attendance at meetings. With a record 20 percent increase in attendance and sold-out trade show with 200 exhibiting companies, ATA is experiencing the largest surge in interest since its creation in 1993.

The ATA meeting is viewed by many of the first time attendees and exhibitors as an opportunity to take advantage of the sudden increase in attention to remote healthcare services, considered a hot topic in Washington and elsewhere as part of healthcare reform.

Congressional leaders and the Obama administration have stated their interest in accelerating the adoption of telemedicine services. For example, the nation’s economic stimulus package targets millions of dollars to fund accelerated use of telemedicine networks.

There is still time to register for the ATA annual meeting. All you need to do is go to www.americantelemed.org. The meeting will be held on April 26-28 at the Rio Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.