Remote Health Care Engineers

Biomedical engineers have a long history of developing equipment, devices, and technologies—such as artificial hearts and other organs, prosthetics, ultrasonic imagery devices, cardiac pacemakers, biosensors, and surgical lasers—that have helped medical professionals better diagnose and treat sick and injured patients—and save or extend lives. In recent years, they have been at the forefront of designing and developing the medical devices, software, and systems used in telemedicine and telehealth.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019, increased demand for telemedicine and telehealth services. In April 2020, 43 percent of all Medicare primary care visits were conducted via telemedicine, up from 0.1 percent in February 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. A total of 74.4 percent of physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association in 2022 reported that telehealth was used in their medical practices. This was nearly three times the percentage in 2018.