Fascinating story from CNN Money about a virtual hospital. This is telemedicine taken to an extreme. Mercy Hospital is a $54 million facility in St. Louis that offers 24/7 medical via iPads and computers. It is a prime example of the hi-tech/hi-touch movement. Using tablets along with biometric sensors, Mercy is able to do almost everything that a traditional home visit used to accomplish.
It is also an excellent example of how to use "navigators" or "advocates" to help address chronic disease management and readmissions. Patients of Mercy get "visited" twice a week by navigators. This makes it possible to detect problems early on. It also reduces unnecessary hospital and doctor visits.