The development of telemedicine, a question of funding? An evidence by the lexicometric analysis of the parliamentary speech

Abstract

Telemedicine is an activity that is hard to develop, its financing modalities are changing rapidly, sometimes in contradictory ways, which can appear as a blocking element. From a lexicometric analysis of parliamentary speeches, we identify different peaks of legislative activity on the notion of telemedicine: in 2009 with the Hospital, Patients, Health, Territories law, at the end of 2013 with the welfare financing law for 2014 and at the end of 2017 with the welfare financing law for 2018. The objective is to show how, at these key moments, the questions
around the financing of the activity evolve. Four dimensions of funding that have an impact on the development of the practice are then highlighted: the control of health expenditure, the financing of the actors, the financing of the equipment and the modalities of remuneration of the activities.