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. “Today more than three quarters of U.S. hospitals offer telemedicine services and more than 60 percent are equipped for remote patient monitoring,” according to the American Hospital Association’s Health Care Talent Scan. “That is important, because 97 percent of patients were satisfied with their first telehealth experience and would recommend the program, 39 and 49 percent of patients want to communicate with their providers through videoconferencing, which is a notable gain from 36 percent in 2016.”