An 11-year-old is drawing from his own experience as a patient who uses telemedicine to promote a bill in the Massachusetts legislature advancing and expanding access to telemedicine, reports Boston.com.
Carson Domey was diagnosed with a rare chronic inflammatory disorder called orofacial granulomatosis when he was 7 years old, and then two years ago he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, according to the report.
Carson lives in Bellingham, Mass., approximately 45 miles outside of Boston where Carson's physicians work at Boston Children's Hospital, so he uses telemedicine services himself to receive care, according to the report.
Carson raises thousands of dollars each year for the hospital and has become an "honorary lobbyist" to promote bills for the hospital's Office of Government Relations, according to the report. The telemedicine bill he is currently promoting — H. 267 — seeks to expand Medicaid coverage for certain credentialed clinicians providing telemedicine services.
"If someone doesn't go to a doctor's appointment because it's too long of a drive, they could use telemedicine," Carson said in the report. "They could still see that doctor, [and] it will improve the quality of care for the community and the person."
Given his experience using telemedicine, Carson testified on Beacon Hill for the legislation, according to the report.
More articles on telehealth:
HHN announces Most Wired hospitals of 2016
Is healthcare transformation 'the age of wisdom' or the 'winter of despair' for hospitals?
Nebraska looks to expand telehealth services