2018 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for telemedicine, which is rapidly becoming part of the health care mainstream.

This infographic by digital communications company Vidyo examines telemedicine adoption, patient outcomes and how IT professionals and clinicians should strategically partner for successful initiatives. The data in the infographic is based on a survey that Vidyo conducted with 300 nurses, health care administrators and IT professionals about telemedicine and telehealth practices and investments at their health care delivery organizations (HDOs).

Currently 34 states and Washington, D.C. fully embrace some component of telemedicine for their state-regulated health plans, according to the American Telemedicine Association. That’s a significant jump from 2010, when only 11 states allowed telemedicine.

The forecasts for growth rates going forward for telehealth are in the 10 percent to 13 percent range, according to Dan Cody, an attorney for the law firm Jones and Day, who spoke at a session on telehealth at the 2018 VM Global Leadership Summit. “The case for telehealth has been answered, and I think it is widely acknowledged that we can deliver better quality care more efficiently using telehealth,” Cody said. “And the second piece of this is that telehealth really goes a long way in terms of lessening some of the traditional socioeconomic barriers there are to access.”