Executives from the nation’s largest health systems see a bright future for telehealth and mHealth, according to a UPMC survey. But reimbursement issues and reliability concerns will slow progress for now.

The majority of healthcare executives and providers — 81 percent — report interest in telemedicine as a method to expand their digital health services, according to a Foley & Lardner survey.

The Foley Telemedicine and Digital Health Survey revealed more interest and use of telemedicine amongst health organizations. The survey was conducted by Foley Lardner LLP, a law firm with a telemedicine team.

As many patients can attest to, a good bedside manner is one of those special gifts that can transform an average doctor into an outstanding one. However, the compassion and empathy that define a doctor’s bedside manner may not always translate into the tech-enabled reboot of this time-honored skill, now referred to as webside manner.

Americans can use the internet to buy groceries, pay bills, watch movies, and talk to loved ones in faraway cities, all from the convenience of their homes. But for too many Americans, seeing a doctor has changed relatively little since the 1950s. A patient has to make an appointment, drive across town, and sit in a crowded waiting room until their name is called, before they finally get to see their doctor.