Researchers have found that treating patients at home with IV antibiotics could halve costs to the NHS and relieve pressure on hospital beds. The team investigated whether having antibiotics prepared at home and continuously delivered into the bloodstream by an elastomeric pump would be a viable option.

They found that both patients and clinicians were happy with this method, and that it could save the NHS more than £3,500 per patient - amounting to millions if rolled out nationally.

One promising form of telemedicine is underutilized in the U.S., compared with countries such as England and China, according to new research from Texas McCombs: initial question-and-answer evaluations. For a fee less than the cost of a full visit, a doctor can begin the diagnosis and referral process, based on a patient’s written or recorded responses.

Ultimately, the research finds, such screenings help more patients see doctors in person and promote better health outcomes. “It turns out that it does a better match,” says Ashish Agarwal, professor of information, risk, and operations management. “You go to the right doctor, and it helps you in the long run.”