Dr. Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS, hand and upper extremity surgeon of the United States, former president of the International Society of Traumatology for the Hand (ISSPORTH) and founder of OrthoNOW, the nation’s only orthopedic care franchise, and Badia Hand to Shoulder Center in Miami is an expert in all issues relating to the treatment of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Dr. Badia is particularly known for his specialty in minimally invasive procedures; he is an innovator in the area of arthroscopic surgery of the upper extremity and performs outpatient joint replacements when indicated. Moreover, Dr. Badia has been in the forefront of telehealth services. As a firm believer in the use of telemedicine, Dr. Badia has been using this tool for consultations and diagnosis in his practice for the past few years.

Telemedicine stands out as a powerful tool used by doctors around the world, to assist their patients without having to be face to face. “This technology removes the barrier of having to be physically present at our center, reducing travel costs and opening the doors to specialized care to those in distant locations” says Dr. Badia, who makes use of videoconferences with his patients to diagnose, treat and follow up on previous procedures with those who reside in other countries or are unable to attend the doctor’s office.

Dr. Badia began telemedicine consultations back in 2016. In just one year, he reported an increase of 1,600% in number of patients treated by this new technique.

“I am a strong believer in medicine as a science that allows us to help people improve their quality of life, regardless of their circumstances. It means the world to me being able to treat my patients all around the world without them having to be physically present at the center,” stated Dr. Badia.

Telemedicine has helped a large number of patients reduce their travel costs, when their specialist is not located in their home country. Additionally, telemedicine has helped reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency room, which are often quite expensive, and it allows the specialist to treat the patient through videoconference for a portion of the cost.

On the other hand, telemedicine can also be beneficial to primary doctors when they need to consult a medical problem with a colleague specialized in a particular area, in order to quickly assist patients who need an urgent diagnosis.