House reps advocate for audio-only telehealth extensions for opioid treatments Jeff Lagasse October 21, 2022 The lawmakers describe the future of audio-only telehealth coverage as "unpredictable" and say a consistent policy should be established. Two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have penned a letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency, imploring the agencies to extend flexibilities for audio-based telehealth so physicians may continue prescribing medication-assisted treatments to address opioid use disorder. Representatives Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., said they're advocates for the development of a long-term policy regarding telehealth flexibilities, particularly, when it comes to administering buprenorphine to patients, a medication that helps prevent overdose death. They cited research from the National Library of Medicine suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic introduced increased barriers to accessing treatment for those with opioid use disorder. Drug overdoses are increasing and disparities have been worsening over the last several years, with opioid-related overdose deaths reaching an all-time high in 2021. Kuster and Trahan noted that the Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule regarding coverage of audio-only telehealth for buprenorphine initiation depends on if "buprenorphine is authorized by the DEA and SAMHSA at the time the service is furnished." Since payment for services is dependent on Drug Enforcement Agency and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guidance, the House members encouraged the agencies to release the public guidance quickly, and to include policies, such as telehealth, that increase access to OUD treatment. WHAT'S THE IMPACT? Audio-only telehealth is an important tool for clinicians in responding to the addiction crisis, the lawmakers said. A 2021 study from the National Library of Medicine backs this up, finding that audio-only telehealth, as a "low-threshold" approach to medication-assisted treatment, was associated with better retention in care. Previous studies also show that providers treating patients with OUD think that telemedicine, including audio-only options, should be offered in some form beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations permitting. The American Society for Addiction Medicine recently released their policy statement on telehealth, saying it's a viable tool to increase access to buprenorphine as part of OUD treatment "and that there is ample opportunity moving forward to study the role that audio-only care can play in responding to the opioid crisis," the lawmakers wrote. Calling the future of audio-only telehealth coverage "unpredictable," the representatives requested that SAMHSA and the DEA grant telehealth flexibilities along with the declaration of a public health emergency for the opioid crisis; evaluate long-term policy for flexibilities based on the utilization and effectiveness of audio-only telehealth in relation to medication-assisted treatment; and detail a projected timeline regarding rulemaking for audio-only telecommunications for the initiation of buprenorphine for treatment of OUD. THE LARGER TREND Overdose deaths were rising prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2020, there was a significant increase in overdose deaths. According to provisional CDC data, overdose deaths increased more than 30% in 2020, leading to more than 93,000 deaths. This increase was driven by the use of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and stimulants, such as methamphetamine and cocaine, or combinations of substances. Pandemic restrictions intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have unfortunately also made it harder for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) to receive treatment and support services. Providing funding for harm-reduction services is one pillar of a four-pillar approach being implemented at the federal level. Evidence-based harm-reduction strategies minimize the negative consequences of drug use, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The other three pillars of the administration's opioid mitigation strategy are primary prevention, focusing on the root causes and predictors of SUDs, evidence-based treatment and recovery support. A December 2021 report from the Office of the Inspector General found that while more than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries had a diagnosis of OUD in 2020, less than 16% of those beneficiaries received medication to treat their conditions. They accounted for fewer than 1 in 6 of all Medicare beneficiaries with OUD. Twitter: @JELagasse Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com See original article: https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/house-reps-advocate-audio-only-telehealth-extensions-opioid-treatments < Previous News Next News >

Finding Our Way Out of the Pandemic Haze: What Telehealth Tools Are Medicare Providers Allowed to Keep, and Which Must They Leave Behind? Amy J. Dilcher, Kara Du November 30, 2022 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare coverage expanded to include a vast arsenal of tools that help patients access medical services while keeping patients and practitioners safe. Many of these tools involve telehealth services and were made possible by the COVID-19 emergency blanket waivers, which went into effect when the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) declared a Public Health Emergency (the “PHE”). Some of these tools: Permitted providers to furnish distant site telehealth services; Expanded the use of audio-only telehealth to behavioral health counseling services; and Facilitated the conducting of telehealth appointments by practitioners from their homes while billing from their currently enrolled locations. As a result of these efforts, the use of telehealth and telemedicine exploded in 2020 according to an HHS Study. This growth was no surprise given the unparalleled advantages of conducting a variety of medical appointments from remote locations in a time where limiting one’s exposure to the COVID-19 virus was paramount. Despite the current trend towards relaxing previously stringent regulations on exposure and contact, many providers and patients prefer telehealth services as the primary method of treatment. This post provides an overview of recent developments in the adoption of telehealth tools by providers, the status of Medicare coverage for telemedicine services, the regulatory vision for the ascent out of the PHE, and fraud, waste and abuse considerations as we begin to make our way out of the pandemic haze. When does the PHE current expire? The blanket waivers that expand Medicare coverage of certain telehealth technology are in effect so long as the Secretary of HHS has declared a COVID-19 public health emergency. The first PHE was declared in 2020 and has been renewed every 90 days since then. The latest HHS extension for the PHE is effective through January 11, 2023. The PHE status is very likely to continue to be extended beyond next January given a possible surge in COVID-19 infections in the United States this winter, according to two Biden administration officials. Moreover, in a letter to the state governors, HHS has indicated that they will provide at least a 60-day notice before the current PHE ends (i.e., on or before November 11, 2022) in the event that it does not intend to issue an extension. To date, the agency has not provided that notice. Updates on the status of HHS declarations of public health emergencies are available via the federal government’s PHE tracker. Adoption of Telehealth Tools by Providers Looking towards the future, many providers anticipate keeping some COVID era telehealth tools in their arsenal after the PHE has ended. According to a recent study by the American Medical Association, tele-visit tools ranked highest in provider enthusiasm, provider adoption and improved patient outcomes in comparison to other digital health tools. The vast majority of physicians who have not yet incorporated these tools are seeking to utilize them in the next three years. The Regulatory Vision For the Ascent Out of the PHE CMS has outlined their strategy for assessing which blanket waivers should stay in effect after the last PHE extension expires. The strategy consists of three concurrent phases: Phase1: Evaluating blanket waivers based on the current stage of the PHE as compared to when the waivers were first issued. Phase 2: Keeping tools in place which would be the most helpful in future PHEs, to ensure a rapid response both locally and nationally. Phase 3: Continuing coverage of flexibilities that are aimed at producing high-quality care and health equity. CMS is working with the healthcare industry to holistically prepare our health care system for future PHEs. Medicare Coverage in Advance of Expiration of the PHE Effective as of January 1, 2022, CMS finalized a rule as part of the FY22 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth for behavioral health services to facilitate greater access and equitable services for those who may not have access to mental health services providers. Most recently, on November 1, 2022, CMS issued the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) 2023 Final Rule (the “2023 Final Rule”), which includes policy revisions and guidance regarding Medicare telehealth services. For example, several services that are temporarily available as telehealth services for the PHE were made available through CY 2023 in order to allow additional time for the collection of data that may support their inclusion as permanent additions to the Medicare Telehealth Services List. CMS also confirmed its intention to implement provisions such as allowing telehealth services to be furnished in any geographic area and in any originating site setting via program instruction or other sub-regulatory guidance to ensure a smooth transition after the end of the PHE. Proposed Legislation to Continue and Expand Medicare Coverage of Telehealth Services The American Hospital Association is one of many groups that urged Congress to expand and make permanent the regulatory flexibilities granted to Medicare telehealth services during the PHE. This strong support in favor of extending and expanding Medicare coverage of telehealth flexibilities was repeated again in a letter sent by 375 organizations to Senate leaders on September 13, 2022. The letter indicates several specific telehealth tools, such as lifting in-person requirements for tele-mental health and waiver of location limitations, that have been among the most integral to bringing needed care to patients in the age of technology. To that end, there are currently several bills in the Senate and House, which would codify much of the progress in telehealth service coverage that providers and industry organizations are seeking. In the Senate, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act was introduced in February of 2022. The bill proposes an extension of and modification to Medicare coverage of four specific telehealth tools. This expansion would continue for two years after the PHE expires. Representatives in the House introduced the Ensuring Telehealth Expansion Act of 2021 in January of 2021. This bill would make Medicare coverage of telehealth flexibilities permanent outside of the PHE. Recently, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022 was passed by the House and is now being reviewed by the Senate. This bill modifies the extension of certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities and provides that some of them continue to apply until December 31, 2024, in the event that the PHE ends before that date. For example, the bill allows beneficiaries to continue to receive telehealth services at any site, regardless of type or location (e.g., the beneficiary’s home), occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to continue to furnish telehealth services, and federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to continue to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner) for telehealth services. Fraud, Waste and Abuse of Telehealth Services The COVID-19 emergency blanket waivers have been a useful tool for healthcare providers, but the expansion of Medicare coverage of telehealth during the PHE has also presented the opportunity for fraud, waste and abuse. In a recent report (the “Report”) the HHS Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”), identified 1,714 out of 742,000 providers as “high risk” for fraud, waste, or abuse with respect to their billing practices for telehealth services. OIG identified several billing practices that may be indicative of providers it considers to be “high risk” of engaging in Medicare fraud, waste or abuse: Facility fees and telehealth fees are billed for the same visit; The highest, most expensive level of telehealth services is billed every time; Telehealth services are billed for a high number of days in any given year; Medicare fee-for-service and a Medicare Advantage plan are billed for the same service for a high proportion of services; A high average number of hours of telehealth services are billed per visit; Telehealth services are billed for a high number of beneficiaries; and Telehealth services and ordering medical equipment are billed for a high proportion of beneficiaries. Although the “high risk” providers submitted only a small percentage of the total number of claims for telehealth services, the amount of claims associated with these providers represented $127.7 million in Medicare fee-for-service payments. The Report also found that over half of the “high risk” providers were connected with at least one other “high risk” provider. The OIG provided several recommendations to CMS: Strengthen monitoring and targeted oversight of telehealth services; Conduct additional education outreach to providers including training sessions, educational materials, and webinars on appropriate telehealth billing practices; Establish billing modifiers to help providers identify circumstances in which non-physician clinical staff primarily render telehealth services under the supervision of a physician; Identify telehealth companies that bill Medicare by updating the Medicare provider enrollment application or working with the National Uniform Claim Committee to add a taxonomy code that identifies telehealth companies; and Conduct targeted reviews of the “high risk” providers identified in the Report. Final Thoughts The importance of telehealth services cannot be understated. Under the current PHE, providers have had the opportunity to deploy these tools in the emergency context, and at the same time have been able to demonstrate their efficacy and reliability in providing quality medical care to patients who would not otherwise have access to either because of coverage or geographic limitations. Nevertheless, given the rapid growth of the industry in recent years and the amount of Medicare dollars spent on telehealth services, it is prudent for healthcare providers to proactively review their telehealth billing practices and supporting documentation. Doing so will reduce the potential for billing errors and minimize compliance risks while improving quality control and financially protecting their organizations. See original article: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/finding-our-way-out-pandemic-haze-what-telehealth-tools-are-medicare-providers < Previous News Next News >

New SAMHSA Telehealth Guide: Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders Center for Connected Health Policy June 2021 Telehealth implementation and outcome evaluation tools that will continue to assist treatment providers and organizations seeking to increase access to mental health services via telehealth The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory recently released a new evidence-based resource guide titled, Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, to support implementation of telehealth across diverse mental health and substance use disorder treatment settings. The guide examines the current telehealth landscape, including evidence on effectiveness and examples of programs that have integrated telehealth modalities (live-video, telephone, and web-based applications) for the treatment of serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUDs). Also included is guidance and resources for evaluating and implementing best practices which are presented across a continuum of services, such as screening and assessment, treatment, medication management, care management, recovery support, and crisis services. The report speaks to how telehealth is known to improve access to care during emergencies and in rural and underserved areas, but stresses that implementation should be expanded outside of such situations and integrated into an organization’s standard practices to improve provider and patient communication, satisfaction, timeliness and continuity of care. The authors highlight how this is increasingly important when it comes to mental health issues, which impact millions of Americans that often face unique treatment gaps and barriers. Ultimately, it is suggested that with the right resources and upfront work, the evidence shows telehealth has the capability to address these barriers, improve health outcomes and care coordination, decrease costs and reduce health disparities. Notable findings related to telehealth use and mental health include: *Telehealth use doubled from 14% to 28% between 2016 and 2019 *Telehealth visits for mental health increased 556% between March 11 and April 22, 2020 *SUD treatment via telehealth increased from 13.5% to 17.4% between 2016 and 2019 *Telehealth use increased 425% for mental health appointments among rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2010 and 2017 The guide presents specific strategies to increase patient access and comfort using telehealth, such as providing devices to those that need them and offering trial sessions to address any technological challenges. It is also suggested that providers first screen patients for their willingness and readiness to receive care via telehealth, as it may not be appropriate for some patients. Additionally, telephone should be encouraged when it reduces prior structural and institutional barriers that have made contacting underserved communities difficult. The guide also offers strategies to increase provider comfort using telehealth, such as: *trainings and designating certain staff to support and evaluate its use *how to create a similar environment to that of an in-person visit for patients *addressing organizational infrastructure issues Understanding and knowledge of relevant and ever-evolving regulatory and reimbursement policies is included as an important consideration as well, to which the authors offer a variety of tracking resources, including the policy finder tool on CCHP’s new website. Regardless of where state and federal telehealth policies land, the guide includes a number of telehealth implementation and outcome evaluation tools that will continue to assist treatment providers and organizations seeking to increase access to mental health services via telehealth. Additional resources can be accessed on the SAMHSA website. For more information read the full SAMHSA resource guide- https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP21-06-02-001.pdf < Previous News Next News >

The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) released its bi-annual summary of state telehealth policy changes for Spring 2022 Center for Connected Health Policy Spring 2022 The Center for Connected Health Policy’s (CCHP) Spring 2022 analysis and summary of telehealth policies is based on its online Policy Finder. It highlights the changes that have taken place in state telehealth policy between the Fall 2021 Summary Report, and Spring 2022. The research for this Spring 2022 executive summary was conducted between January and April 2022. This summary offers policymakers, health advocates, and other interested health care professionals an overview of telehealth policy trends throughout the nation. For detailed information by state, see CCHP’s telehealth Policy Finder which breaks down policy for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is releasing its Spring 2022 Summary Report of the state telehealth laws and Medicaid program policies catalogued in CCHP’s online Policy Finder tool. Prior to Spring 2021, this same information was released at least twice a year in the form of a 500+ page PDF report titled, “the State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Report” since 2012. With the transition to the online Policy Finder, users are able to navigate each state’s updated information as soon as CCHP makes it available. Additionally, the information from the online tool can be exported for each state into a PDF document using the most current information available on CCHP’s website. CCHP plans to continue to produce these bi-annual summary reports of the status of telehealth policies across the United States in the Spring and Fall each year to provide a snapshot of the progress made in the past six months. CCHP is committed to providing timely policy information that is easy for users to navigate and understand through our Policy Finder. The information for this summary report covers updates in state telehealth policy made between January and mid-April 2022. For full report: https://www.cchpca.org/2022/05/Spring2022_ExecutiveSummaryfinal.pdf < Previous News Next News >

Pandemic broadens NMDOT’s outlook to lay groundwork for a connected future By NMDOT February 8, 2021 “The pandemic forced New Mexico to rely heavily on internet access, making broadband even more essential,” SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Transportation is committed to helping build out the information highways in New Mexico to connect rural communities to vital digital resources while enhancing mobility and safety on state highways. “The pandemic forced New Mexico to rely heavily on internet access, making broadband even more essential,” said Transportation Secretary Mike Sandoval. “Digital expansion has been a passion project of the department for a while, but the urgent need for telecommuting, distance learning and telemedicine has fueled the drive to make internet access for every New Mexican a reality.” The DOT is looking ahead at what it would take to piggyback fiber optic infrastructure with current and future road construction projects to achieve dig once practices and help make future broadband expansion projects more welcoming for industry partners. Additional fiber infrastructure would also enhance the department’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) which allows DOT to install additional digital message boards, cameras, and weather sensors, to provide real-time road condition information through the NMRoads application. “As existing roads are reconstructed, there’s an opportunity to install fiber conduit while the road is torn up, so you’re not digging twice, which minimizes the impact on the environment,” said Sandoval. “Building both literal and digital highways will provide innovative, sustainable infrastructure that serves the entire state.” NMDOT is also partnering with the New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMEDD) to conduct a stratospheric broadband infrastructure assessment which will not only evaluate the connectivity opportunities for rural New Mexico, but also identify the same prospects for the state’s transportation needs. “We have a long way to go, but the department is gathering data and taking the necessary steps to ensure DOT plays a significant role in broadband accessibility,” adds Sandoval. < Previous News Next News >

Digital Health Tools Transforming Pediatric Telemedicine, Teletherapy & Telehealth Dr. Maheu February 24, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented rise in pediatric telemedicine to alleviate the strain of behavioral health issues. Unprecedented stressors abound. Children are now more often confined to their homes and are less able to socialize. They may be forced to adjust to their parents’ working from home. They may witness economic and emotional fluctuations that leave them more anxious than at any time in recent history. With the increased demand for care with a shortage of available pediatric behavioral professionals, many organizations have shifted to pediatric telemedicine and telehealth or teletherapy tools.. COVID 19 and Challenges for Pediatric Telemedicine for Behavioral Health A meta-analysis published in JAMA Network, pediatrics found that one in every four children suffered depression during the COVID-19 lockdown and the anxiety prevalence rate was 20.5%. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared to 2019, the number of mental health-related emergency visits in 2020 went up by 24% for children in the 5-11 age group and 31% in the 12-17 age group. The American Association of Pediatrics and the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have officially declared an emergency as pediatric behavioral health went through a crisis countrywide. Parents had pretty tough times getting support for pediatric behavioral health following the closure of clinics and shortage of pediatric-trained therapists. Digital health tools primarily developed for adult health care have been adapted to connect parents to trained child therapists to overcome geographical and pandemic-related barriers. Full article here: https://telehealth.org/pediatric-telemedicine-2/?smclient=f760e669-8538-11ec-83c8-18cf24ce389f&smconv=5bc4c379-a4c1-484f-a411-33ec93777504&smlid=12&utm_source=salesmanago&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default < Previous News Next News >

Report: Telehealth Programs Increase Workload for Nurses and Support Staff Katie Adams December 20, 2022 Many providers think their telehealth program increases the workload for nurses and support staff, according to a recent report. In 2023, hospitals and physician practices will have to focus on making their telehealth workflows more efficient, which may involve partnering with third-party administrators. Telehealth isn’t as widely utilized as it was at the dawn of the pandemic, but the care modality is definitely here to stay. However, many providers believe their telehealth program increases the workload for nurses and support staff, according to a recent report from research firm Sage Growth Partners. Providers also said they don’t think physicians enjoy using telehealth visits to treat patients. In 2023, hospitals and physician practices will have to focus on making their telehealth workflows more efficient, which may involve partnering with third-party administrators, the report said. In September, Sage Growth Partners surveyed 95 health system executives and 75 leaders of physician practices. Practices with fewer than five physicians were excluded from the survey. Most respondents said that their organizations will focus on optimizing and sustaining their current telehealth programs in 2023 rather than expanding them. In fact, only about 10% of participants — 11% of hospitals and 8% of practices — said they are looking to grow their telehealth offerings next year. Health system executives were more likely than practice leaders to say that telehealth visits should make up a higher percentage of their ideal in-person-to-telehealth visit mix. Health system leaders said the mix should be 30% telehealth and 70% office. Among practice leaders, the ideal mix looks more like 20% and 80%. Their difference of opinion also extended to another question on how they think telehealth utilization will grow by visit type over the next two years. Health system leaders said that utilization will fall slightly for most visit types — even behavioral health. They said that 36% of behavioral health visits were delivered via telehealth in September, but they expect this to fall to 33% in September 2024. Urgent care and telepathology were the two visit types for which health systems leaders predicted telehealth growth — they expect telehealth utilization to increase from 3% to 7% for urgent care and from 2% to 4% for telepathology. Practice leaders expected telehealth utilization to increase slightly or remain the same for most visit types. Specialty care was the only exception — for this visit type, practice leaders predicted utilization to fall from 23% to 20% over the next two years. Both groups agreed that telehealth actually increases burden on staff though practice leaders seem to feel it more acutely. More than half of practice leaders said telehealth has increased support staff’s workload, and 28% said it generates more work for nurses. Among health system executives, 35% said telehealth increased support staff’s workload, and 30% said it creates more work for nurses. Additionally, less than half of total respondents (46% of hospitals and 47% of practices) agreed that telehealth increases physician satisfaction and physicians like using telehealth visits to treat patients. A key reason for this is that many providers are operating their telehealth programs using inefficient workflows, according to the report. Nearly 60% of survey respondents said they have not yet created new workflows for telehealth visits. Instead, hospitals and physician practices are still relying on workflows that mirror in-person visits. In 2023, providers will need to improve these workflows, and many will consider bringing on the help of third-party telehealth administrators, such as Amwell or Caregility, the report said. Hospitals are more than twice as likely to use third-party partners to administer telehealth services — with 20% of hospitals doing this compared to 9% of practices. Hospitals were also more likely to say they would change their telehealth administering party over the next two years — with 44% of hospitals saying this compared to 25% of practices. Photo: Anastasia Usenko, Getty Images See original article: https://medcitynews.com/2022/12/report-telehealth-programs-increase-workload-for-nurses-and-support-staff/ < Previous News Next News >

HIMSSCast: How emerging tech is opening new avenues in telehealth, RPM Mike Miliard October 28, 2022 Virtual therapeutics, voice recognition and fast-evolving artificial intelligence tools are transforming home-based care, says Robin Farmanfarmaian, co-author of the new book How AI Can Democratize Healthcare. Remote patient monitoring and other forms of virtual care are fast finding footholds in healthcare as patients get acquainted with these new care modalities, and as health systems learn to appreciate the cost efficiencies they offer. But telehealth and RPM are still in their early days, and fast-changing as they're augmented with other new and emerging digital health and artificial intelligence technologies. Robin Farmanfarmaian, a longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur and co-author of the new book, How AI Can Democratize Healthcare, joined us recently to discuss how the growing momentum toward home-based care is being impacted by leading-edge innovations such as natural language processing, digital therapeutics and more. leading-edge-technologies-are-transforming-telehealth-and-rpm (1).mp3 Talking points: Where remote patient monitoring is now, and where it's headed How AI is changing how virtual care is delivered New approaches to patient engagement and experience What's next for digital therapeutics and other app-based interventions Innovative use cases for NLP and machine learning models More about this episode: The intersection of remote patient monitoring and AI How remote patient monitoring is moving into the mainstream AI-powered telehealth improves PT care at Essen Health Care Mayo Clinic working with Memora Health on virtual postpartum care AI-powered RPM can help address the rural neonatal care crisis How remote patient monitoring improves care, saves money AI and IoT device connects with concierge platform for RPM Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication. See original podcast: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/himsscast-how-emerging-tech-opening-new-avenues-telehealth-rpm < Previous News Next News >

Top of Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NMTHA's Telehealth Toolkit NMTHA's Telehealth Toolkit provides: Templates Best practice guidelines Gene ral resources Links to additional toolkits 11 telehealth topic areas, including: Client engagement Provider eng agement Provider self-care Technology Clinical specialities As part of a grant provided by the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD), the resources below were curated and organized to match themes from interviews and surveys supported through efforts by the NMTHA and Anchorum St. Vincent . How do we address broadband and other telehealth challenges in rural New Mexico? How do we get started with telemedicine? How do we improve client engagement? How do we improve provider engagement? How do we manage our telehealth practice? How can we reduce provider burnout? How do we use/expand telehealth in schools and youth programs? What are the best ways to use telehealth for clinical specialties? What is the future of telehealth? What is the latest data on telehealth? How do we collect data on telehealth use? What telehealth platforms are best (and other technology questions)? 1 HOW DO WE ADDRESS BROADBAN D AND OTHER TELEHEALTH CHALLENGES IN RURAL NEW MEXICO? To o lk i ts Rural Telehealth Toolkit T h is toolkit from the Rural Health Informat ion Hub, compiles evidence-based, promising models and resources to support organizations in identifying and implementing telehealth programs to address common challenges experienced in rural communities across the United States. Audience: Facility leadership and providers in rural areas. G ene ral Resources Active Programs to Improve Telehealth Services in Remote Areas Office of the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) provides funding to promote and improve telehealth services in rural areas. Audience: Executive leadership for clinics/facilities in rural areas. Virtual Critical Care: A Lifeline for Rural Hospitals and Patients (CASE STUDY) Auburn University Health and Amwell identify methods participating rural hospitals used to reduce their transfers by more than 80%, enabling patients to receive care in their communities with minimal disruption to continuity of care. Comparing Televideo and Telephone Behavioral Health Services for People with Chronic Mental Illness Powerpoint presentation from the UNM Rural Psychiatry Program, Annual Spring Conference: "Adapting Care for 2021 and Beyond." HOW DO WE GET STARTED WITH TELEMEDICINE? Toolkits Setting Up Tele-Be havioral Health Service This step-by-step guide provided by the Indian Health Services is meant to be comprehensive, touching upon everything that may need to be considered in s etting up Telebehavioral health services at your site. Audience: Facility directors and providers serving tribal and Indigenous populations. Telehealth Program Developer Kit From the California Telehealth Resource Center: "The CTRC Program Developer was designed to assist in developing and implementing telehealth services. This Guide provides overview information on the process and the activities and information you will collect during each of the development phases. Each of the steps is designed to allow an organization to consider critical aspects of development and to support decision making.” Telehealth Implementation Playbook Learn more about identifying the need for telehealth, finding a vendor, designing the workflow, implementing, and scaling from the American Medical Association. A Toolkit for Building and Growing a Sustainable Telehealth Program in Your Practice Telehealth services and payment, roles and responsibilities, licensing and legal requirements, technology, workflow, and family medicine scenarios. Toolkit from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) . Templa tes Telemedicine Multi-S ite Agreement Arizona Telemedicine offers a template for consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements for involved parties. Best Practice Guidelines 15 Key Steps to Creating a Business Proposal to Implement Telemedicine Here you’ll find a concise overview of 15 steps to implement a successful telemedicine program at your facility. Offered by the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Directors and Executive leadership. General Resources Telehealth Start-Up and Resource Guide Covering Telehealth vs. Telemedicine, ATA and AMA guidelines, startup to sustainability, telehealth module and outlook, reimbursement guide, Medicaid, Medicare billing, CNM code information and other resources. This start-up and resource guide was created in partnership between Telligen and gpTRAC, the GreatPlains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center. It is intended to provide an overview and framework for implementing telehealth in critical access hospitals and rural areas, and to point the reader toward reliable and informative resources for learning about telehealth and the organizations that support the use of telehealth in various ways. General Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit This document contains links to reliable information sources regarding telehealth and telemedicine. Most information is directed toward providers seeking to establish a permanent telemedicine program with specific documents useful for choosing telemedicine vendors, initiating a telemedicine program, monitoring patients remotely, and developing documentation tools. The New Normal: Tips for Making Telemedicine Part of Your Permanent Practice September 2020, 1:02:46 Alaska Native Medical Center and Shoshone Family Medical Center join together via Project ECHO to help participants understand tactics to develop a well-rounded telehealth program, move telemedicine into their standard operations, outline the elements of a telemedicine quality program, understand considerations of health equity in telemedicine, proactively and reactively address patient barriers, and outline infrastructure components needed to support ongoing program success. Audience: Facility directors ready to establish a telemedicine program. Telemedicine: Where Do I Start? July 2020, 1:03:41 Project ECHO, Shepherd’s Clinic, UV Medicine, and CommonSpirit Health offer an expert-guided video on how to start and subsequently navigate telemedicine. Audience: Facility directors ready to establish a telemedicine program. 2 3 HOW DO WE IMPROVE CLIENT ENGAGEMENT? Templates Behavioral Telehealth Session Checklist Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network provides this checklist put together by Operation PAR, Inc. to provide basic guidance on the before-, during-, and after- of a telehealth session. Audience: Behavioral health providers using telehealth and looking to improve their interactions with clients or behavioral health providers using telehealth for the first time. Telehealth Instructions for Behavioral Health Patients Behavioral Health Partners offers telehealth instructions to behavioral health patients in preparation for a telehealth visit. Patient Consent Form Telemedicine patient consent form provided by the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Facility directors. Telehealth Instructions for Behavioral Health Patients Behavioral Health Partners offers telehealth instructions to behavioral health patients in preparation for the telehealth visit. Audience: Behavioral health providers using telehealth and looking to improve their interactions with clients or behavioral health providers using telehealth for the first time. Telehealth Visit Etiquette Checklist From the American Medical Association: "This checklist is intended for clinicians and care team members who will be hosting the telehealth visit to ensure that the professional standards of in-person care is maintained in a virtual environment.” Audience: Telemedicine and telebehavioral health providers. Patient Information Sheet (English) Overview of telehealth visit for patients from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Patient Information Sheet (Spanish) Overview of telehealth visit for patients from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Best Practice Guidelines Telehealth Etiquette Video Series In this series of videos, we learn the difference between a Bad, Good, and even Better telehealth consult. While some demonstrations may seem humorous or “over the top,” all are based on actual patient scenarios. As you watch, notice the difference between the Good, the Bad, and the downright Ugly. Provided by the South Central Telehealth Resource Center and produced by Old Dominion University College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Audience: Telemedicine and telebehavioral health providers. General Resources Telehealth Best Practice s April 2020, 0:04:06 A short video from the Hawaii State Department of Health Genomics Section highlighting best practices for healthcare providers when using telehealth to provide services. Audience: All providers. 4 HOW DO WE IMPROVE PROVIDER ENGAGEMENT? General Resources Clinical Best Practices and the Art of the Tele-Physical Exam September 2020, 0:59:31 This video aims to help providers understand the process of conducting a telemedicine visit, select the equipment needed to conduct a physical assessment through telemedicine, collec t physical data through a videoconferencing session without peripherals , and utilize creative strategies to obtain clinical data. Provided by the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO as a joint effort with the Center for Telehealth Innovation, Education, & Research; Old Dominion University; and the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Primary care providers. Physicians' Motivations and Requirements to Adopting Digital Clinical Tools February 2020 Study by the American Medical Association on “Physicians’ motivations and requirements for adopting digital health and adoption and attitudinal shifts from 2016 to 2019.” Audience: Executive leadership. Telehealth Driver Diagram Develop a sustainable, patient-centered, and equitable telehealth model and achieve an advanced level of maturity with the FQHC Consortium diagram. Top Five Tips for Managing Expectations and Challenges of Transitioning to Telehealth May, 2020, 0:17:46 Discussion of the "Top 5 tips for Managing Expectations and Coping with the Challenges of Transitioning to Telehealth." Speakers: Nancy Roget, Executive Director of the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies at the University of Nevada–Reno and Co-Director of the Mountain Plain Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Regional Center, and Paul Warren, research project director at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Substance Use Disorders, in association with Columbia University and Project Manager for the Northeast and Caribbean ATTC. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. 5 HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR TELEHEALTH PRACTICE? Toolkits Organizational Assessment Toolkit for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration Designed by a team of integration experts and offered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Organizational Assessment Toolkit for primary and behavioral health care Integration (OATI) provides a compendium of tools that lay out a path for organizations to assess readiness for integration, as well as benchmarking opportunities for those organizations well down the line in integration efforts. Audience: Facility directors and providers looking to integrate primary care and behavioral health. Telehealth Playbook Federally Qualified Health Centers Telehealth Consortium provides a Telehealth Playbook as a how-to guide to support the adoption and sustainability of telehealth at health centers. Templates Job Description RN Coordinator - Telehealth Sample Sample from UW Health. (University of Wisconsin) Audience: Clinic administrators and directors. Job Description: Telehealth Program Coordinator Sample Sample from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: Clinic administrators a nd directors. Job Description: The Telemedicine Navigator (TMN) Sample Sample from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: clinic administrators and directors. Job Descriptions Multiple Telemedicine Positions Includes several sample telemedicine job descriptions from the California Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: clinic administrators, directors and executive leadership. Appointment Types & Duration Guide From the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: Clinic administrators. Best Practice Guidelines Billing for Telehealth Encounters: An Introductory Guide on Fee-for-Service Prepared by the Center for Connected Health Policy and The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center to provide guidance on billing for telehealth and virtual healthcare and fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and Medicaid programs. Audience: Facility directors and providers. General Resources 2021 Medicare Coverage and Payment for Audio Only Services (Telephone E/M) The Association of American Medical Colleges provides an overview of current Medicare coverage for audio-only services. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Billing and Coding Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims During the COVID-19 Pandemic More Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) services are billable as telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Read the latest guida nce on billing and coding FFS telehealth claims. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Coding Scenario: Coding for Telehealth Visits Guide for how to bill for a variety of telehealth visits from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Audience: Facility directors and providers. C overage and Payment for Telemedicine The American Medical Association offers an overview of health plan coverage and payment for telemedicine services. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Interstate Medical Licensure Compact American Medical Association explains pathway to expedite licensing of physicians already licensed in another state. Audience: Facility directors. NCTRC Webinar - Digital Marketing: Best Practices for Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth July 2020, 0:59:09 This South Central Telehealth Resource Center presentation lays the foundation for building a digital strategy for telemedicine practice. Participants will learn how to identify opportunities to reduce friction based on consumer journey, discuss highest value marketing channels based on consumer data, define audience segments, and outline conversion goals. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. NCTRC Webinar - Leveraging Telehealth to Address Social Determinants November 2020, 1:00:08 The National Consortium of Telehealth Resources presents on how the healthcare industry's shift from fee-for-service (FFS) to value-based care, planning, implementing, and enhancing telehealth as a service delivery model, makes it crucial to ensure practices are on the leading edge - not the bleeding edge - of reimbursement strategies. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Overview of Telehealth Billing and Reimbursement Policies August 2020, 1:03:35 The Center for Connected Health Policy, via Project ECHO, presented this installment during a 10-week series offered by the National COVID Response peer-to-peer learning. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Policy Telehealth Coding and Payment Quick Guide The American Medical Association’s Advocacy team summarizes the latest updates in Federal policy , including key policy and payment considerations. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Service Provider Directory Telemedicine and Telehealth The directory lists companies providing medical specialty services (e.g., radiology, rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry) and ancillary services (e.g., patient education and language interpretation) through telemedicine to healthcare providers (e.g., hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, private practices, urgent care centers). Audience: Hospital and healthcare administrators and other decision-makers who want to expand or improve their healthcare services to their patients, employees, clients, etc. by connecting them with specialty care. Telehealth and Health Equity: Considerations for Addressing Health Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic September 2020, 1:04:50 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presenters discuss the intersection of telehealth and health equity, and the implications for health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will identify long-standing systemic health and social inequities that contribute to COVID-19 health disparities while highlighting the opportunities and limitations of telehealth implementation as an actionable solution. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Telemedicine Policy Guidelines for creating a telemedicine policy from the American Medical Association. Audience: Facility directors. Telemedicine Quick Reference Guide Created by BlueCross/BlueShield of New Mexico to help providers with questions on telemedicine services and billing. Please note: this does not include federal or state exceptions for the Public Health Emergency for COVID. Audience: Directors and providers offering telemedicine in New Mexico. Workflows and Documentation August 2020, 1:02:00 The California Telehealth Resource Center, along with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Mary’s Center, offer a Project ECHO video presentation showing basics of facilitating workflow conversations, creating workflow maps, and how to pull together and lead successful teams. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Podcasts Top Five Clinical Best Practices for Telehealth April 2020, 0:10:08 Mary Ellen Evers, LCSW, CAADC, a registered telebehavioral health clinician for mental health and addiction services and a telebehav ioral health trainer for the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies, shares her top five clinical best practices for providing services via telehealth platforms. Audience: Providers. Top Five Tips for Group Services via Telehealth April 2020, 0:09:03 Sandes Boulanger, LCSW, MCAP, the Vice President of Clinical Services for Operation Par, Inc., located in Florida, shares her top five tips for running group sessions and support via telehealth during COVID-19. Audience: Providers. Top Five Tips for Telehealth Implementation April 2020, 0:09:22 Kathy Wibberly, the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center located at the University of Virginia Karen S. Rheuban Center for Telehealth, gives her top five tips for successful implementation of telehealth services. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Top Seven Telehealth Privacy Considerations April 2020, 0:09:41 The Center for Excellence for Protected Health Information presents key points around privacy, HIPAA, and confidentiality when providing telehealth behavioral health and addiction services, with Jacqueline Seitz, JD; CoE-PHI, Christine Khaikin, JD; CoE-PHI, and Michael Graziano. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers serving behavioral health patients. Top Seven Tips for Telehealth Billing April 2020, 0:18:34 A review of best practices for billing for telehealth services to ensure reimbursement during COVID-19, presented by Kathy Wibberly, PhD, the director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center located at the University of Virginia. Audience: Facility directors and providers. 6 HOW DO WE REDUCE PROVIDER BURNOUT? Toolkit Physician Suicide and Support The American Medical Association discusses how to identify at-risk physicians and facilitate access to appropriate care. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Provider Self-Care Toolkit The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder discusses how managers can support employees struggling with burnout and stress. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Tips for Supporting Employee Mental Health The National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers a toolkit on Stress, Anxiety, Depression: "What it Looks Like at Work and How to Provide Support." Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. General Resources Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact, and Preventative Strategies Article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine . Audience: Providers and executive leadership. Equipping Physicians to Manage Burnout Resources from the American Medical Association, including a tip of the week, free learning modules, and podcasts. Audience: healthcare leaders and providers. Gratitude Practice for Nurses The Gratitude Practice for Nurses initiative is a joint effort of the American Nurses Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, aimed at cultivating the practice of gratitude within the nursing profession. Decades of research have shown that practicing gratitude is highly effective in promoting physical and psychological health, both at the individual and organizational levels. Audience: Nurses and healthcare leaders. Mental Health Support for Healthcare Providers Support from the National Alliance on Mental Health includes confidential and professional support, peer support, resources on building resiliency, and more. Audience: All medical and behavioral treatment staff and providers. Provider Burnout: Prioritizing Self-Care to Strengthen Patient Care Ideas for self-care from the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Audience: All medical and behavioral treatment staff and providers. 7 HOW DO WE USE/EXPAND TELEHEALTH IN SCHOOLS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS? Toolkit National Telehealth Toolkit for Educators/Faculty Created in 2019, a group of over 45 nursing faculty from 19 U.S. States, Canada, and 28 universities met to develop a telehealth toolkit with the goal of providing faculty with content needed to integrate telehealth across the curriculum for health professions programs. Roadmap for Action: Advancing the Adoption of Telehealth in Child Care Centers and Schools to Promote Children’s Health and Well-Being School-Based Checklist and Resources Compiled by the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Pennsylvania State University, this document provides a variety of checklists as well as links to additional resources. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. Best Practice Guidelines Evaluation Considerations for Delivering Virtual School-B ased OT Services via Telehealth Checklist, resources, and recommendations provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. General Resources How to Start and Implement a School-Based Telehealth Program How to Build a School-Based Telemedicine Program in Your Community 0:52:21 The South Central Telehealth Resource Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, offers a video on building a school-based telemedicine program. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs looking to implement a telemedicine program. R eimbursement of School-Based Telehealth Services-Report The National Academy for State Health Policy report explores how states are increasing their Medicaid coverage of school-based telehealth services during COVID-19, determining which services can be effectively delivered through telehealth, and supporting equitable access to telehealth services for students. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. 8 WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO USE TELEHEALTH FOR CLINICAL SPECIALTIES? Behavioral Health Best Practice Guide Introduction to telehealth for behavioral health care. Audience: Executive leadership and fac ility directors. Telehealth Delivery of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) The Medical University of South Carolina offers a 2-part webinar series: Part 1 (0:59:26) - Provides logistics for delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health services via telehealth (e.g., necessary equipment, procedures, documentation, ethical considerations) Part 2 (1:41:09) - Provides specific tips and resources for delivering Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) via telehealth. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Dentistry ADA Guide to Understanding and Documenting Teledentistry Events The American Dental Association provides Q&A with scenarios providing insight and understanding of how care is delivered and reported wh en teledentistry is a facet of the process. Audience: Dental office directors and providers. Emergency Departments Best Practice Guide: Introduction to Telehealth Practices for Emergency Departments The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides information on getting started, billing, tele-triage, tele-emergency care, virtual rounds, e-consults, and telehealt h for follow-up care. Audience: Executive leadership, ED directors, and providers. Hospice and Palliati ve Care Best Practices for Using Telehealth in Hospice and Palliative Care Article from the National Library of Medicine highlights the work of expert clinicians from multiple hospice and palliative care organizations to develop best practices for conducting telehealth visits in inpatient and community settings. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Maternal Health UMTRC Webinar: Ohio Telehealth Billing & Reimbursement Webinar for Maternal Health May 2020, 0:55:22 Ohio State University and the Ohio Department of Health provide a video on how maternal health providers in Ohio can integrate telehealth into their clinical practices, and a deep dive into telehealth reimbursement for maternal health, with an emphasis on Ohio Medicaid. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Pediatrics Pediatric Telemedicine in Ambulatory and Inpatient Settings D uring COVID-19 and Beyond May 2020, 1:0 4:51 The University of Minnesota Pediatrics Grand Rounds offers a video that describes: 1. Evolution of telemedicine practice before and since COVID in pediatric ambulatory and inpatient settings. 2. Three elements of best practice for effective telemedicine visits. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine in Pediatrics. 4. Applications for telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic in your practice. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Remote Monitoring Remote Patient Monitoring Toolkit The Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Reso urce Center designed a toolkit to help many different audiences quickly understand remote patient monitoring and define the responsibilities of each role. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Substance Use Disorders Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders From the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): “This guide reviews ways that telehealth modalities can be used to provide treatment for serious mental illness and substance use disorders among adults, distills the research into recommendations for practice, and provides examples of how these recommendations can be implemented.” Audience: Behavioral health providers and clinical supervisors. Tele-Treatment for Substance Use Disorders Treating substance use disorders via telehealth requires expertise and training in addiction care. Telehealth Health and Human Services provide special considerations to keep in mind for telehealth substance use treatment. Audience: Facility directors and providers. 9 WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TELEHEALTH? Best Practice Guidelines Current State Laws and Policies for New Mexico Current state laws and policies related to telemedicine in New Mexico curated by the Center for Connected Health Policy. Audience: Ex ecutive leadership, facility directors and providers. Statute on Establishing a Patient-Physician Relationship Via Telehealth The American Medical Association offers a quick reference guide for providing care with medical ethics while maintaining the patient’s well-being via telemedicine. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. General Resources A New Decade for Telehealth: A Loo k at the Rapid Rise in Telehealth Adoption and What's Required to Support its Growth White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber te chnology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Executive leadership. Covering the Cost of Telehealth White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers: “Healthcare leaders expect patient demand for digital services to continue rising — even after the COVID-19 public health crisis subsides. That in turn has healthcare organizations (HCOs) strategizing on how to cover the costs of the telehealth investments they’ll need to meet rising demands in the months and years ahead.” Audience: Executive leadership. How Telehealth Can Support People Living in the Community The American Telehealth Association provides background education on telehealth, increases awareness of the benefits of telehealth that support community living, and raises policy considerations for States, health plans, and providers. Medicare and Medicaid COVID-19 Program Flexibilities and Considerations for Their Continuation Statements of Jessica Farb, Director of Health Care, and Carolyn L. Yocom, Director of Health Care, were incorporated in the Testimony Before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss flexibilities related to Medicare and Medicaid made available during the public health emergency. Testimony highlights the various flexibilities and waivers implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides preliminary information on how these flexibilities have likely benefited providers and beneficiaries. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Pending Telehealth Legislation and Regulation in New Mexico and the United States A quick reference guide presented by the Center for Connected Health Policy. Audience: Healthcare leadership and all providers. Return on Health: Moving Beyond Dollars and Cents in Realizing the Value of Virtual Care This report, jointly developed by the American Medical Association and Manatt Health Strategies, expands on existing research by articulating a more robust framework for measuring the value of digitally enabled care that accounts for the various ways in which virtual care programs may increase the overall “return on health” by generating positive impact for patients, clinicians, payers and society going forward. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Telehealth Needs & Opportunities: Emerging Findings from Non-Profit Behavioral Health Providers in Northern New Mexico Special Report from the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance and Anchorum St. Vincent, a community health impact organization, resulting from a needs assessment in early 2021. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. 10 WHAT IS THE LATEST DATA ON TELEHEALTH USE OR HOW DO WE COLLECT DATA ON TELEHEALTH USE? Te mplates Telehealth Patient Experience Survey Sample survey from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audie nce: Providers and administrators. General Resources Configuring Telehealth Visits Using RPMS and EHR Presentation by the Indian Health Service from Sept. 2020 regarding standardization for national tracking and reporting. Audience: Facility directors and provid ers serving native and Indigenous populations. Measures of S uccess: 5 Key Metrics for Evaluating Telehealth Services White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Executive leadership. Measuring Patient Experience and Satisfaction with Telemedicine: A Quick Guide to Survey Selection The California Health Care Foundation provides a guide to support and inform quality improvement efforts at health centers. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Supporting Today’s Data-Intensive Clinical Environments Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers, offers tep-by-step guidance for planning a network infrastructure that advances digital health initiatives and improves efficiency and patient outcomes. Audience: Executive leadership. Telemedicine and Non-Telemedicine Visit Experience Interview Guides The University of Rochester provides an interview guide designed to be conducted with patients, physicians, nurses, and office staff in an ambulatory setting and includes questions to assess users' satisfaction and perceptions of telehealth. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. 11 WHAT TELEHEALTH PLATFORMS ARE BEST AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS? Toolkits Remote Patient Monitoring Platforms: Vendor Overview Snapshot of various platforms from the FQHC Teleheal th Consortium. Telehealth Platforms: Vendor Overview Snapshot of various platforms from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Vendor Selection Toolkit From the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center, this provides some quick info on selecting your telehealth vendor. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. General Resources AMA Telehealth Implementation Playbook Includes a vendor evaluation checklist on pages 32-38. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. Comparing 11 Top Telehealth Platforms: Company Execs Tout Quality, Safety, EHR Integrations Article from HealthcareIT News. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Growing Digital Health Innovation Means It’s Time for a Bandwidth Checkup Whitepaper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. Telehealth Technology Trends October 2020, 0:59:41 National Consortium of Telehealth Resources: The Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center (TTAC) has seen a significant shift in choosing telehealth technology for providing patient care, specifically in choosing video conferencing platforms and providing care to the patient in the home, both from the provider and the consumer perspective. TTAC gives a short overview of changing trends observed now and for the future. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. The Top 30 Tools for Improving Your Telehealth Implementation Telehealth tools, hardware, software, monitoring and on-demand portals from Cambridge Brain Sciences. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors.

What You Need to Know About the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act Dr. Maheu February 24, 2022 The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act was introduced on February 7, 2022, to ensure a continuation of public access to telehealth after the end of a public health emergency. If passed, it will allow time to gather data concerning virtual care utilization and prevent a sudden drop-off in access to care, also known as the telehealth cliff. What is the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act? The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act establishes a two-year extension for certain coronavirus-related telehealth waivers. It will extend geographic and site restrictions waivers and allow Medicare beneficiaries to access telehealth from various locations. It also provides flexibility for prescribing drugs via telehealth and extends flexible Medicare payment plans for Rural Health Centers (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The bill follows an advocacy letter signed by 336 organizations, co-led by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and others, urging Congressional leaders to continue the current telehealth waivers and pass permanent, evidence-based telehealth legislation for implementation in 2024. Key Takeaways for the Telehealth Industry The telehealth industry should be aware of the critical points of the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act. Extension of Medicare Payment for Telehealth Services. The CARES ACT allowed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive specific Medicare coverage and payment limitations, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive telehealth care at home. If the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation passes, it will extend certain telehealth coverage waivers on originating site and geographic location limitations, expand the list of telehealth providers, and increase the availability of audio-only telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries for two years after the public health emergency ends. Telemedicine Drug Prescribing. The Ryan Haight Act prohibits the prescribing of medicine without an in-person visit. Federal law allowed DEA registered practitioners to prescribe to patients without in-person visits during the pandemic. See TBHI’s previous article Telehealth Opioids, and Ryan Haight Act Update, for more information. The proposed legislation would extend this flexibility two years after the public health emergency. Extension of FQHCs and RHCs. Before the pandemic, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) could only provide telehealth services to patients near their locations. The CARES Act allowed these facilities to provide care to patients in distant areas, a practice the legislation would continue for two years after the public health emergency expires. Extension for CAHs. The 2020 Hospitals Without Walls program allowed hospitals to provide telehealth care during a public health emergency. The proposed legislation would add Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as distant site providers of telehealth services to continue offering off-site care. Restrictions for Certain DMEs and Lab Tests. The legislation would require an ordering physician to conduct an in-person examination of a patient no more than 12 months before ordering specific high-cost lab tests and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) products via telehealth. It would also instruct Medicare Administrative Contractors to audit practitioners and clinicians who do 90% or more of their orders of DME and lab tests via telehealth. This would continue for two years after the health emergency ends. It is meant to reduce instances of fraud and abuse. NPI Number for Telehealth Billing. Healthcare providers need a national provider identifier (NPI) number to bill Medicare directly. Under certain conditions, Medicare pays for services billed by physicians but performed by non-physician staff acting under the physician’s supervision. This practice is known as “incident to” billing. The proposed legislation requires all practitioners to obtain an NPI number to receive Medicare payment for telehealth services two years after the public health emergency. Your Advocacy Is Needed The pandemic has caused an increased reliance on the telehealth industry. If passed, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act will ensure that patients can continue to access the virtual care they need. Contact your elected officials at the federal level to ask them to support this crucial bill. https://telehealth.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-telehealth-extension-and-evaluation-act/?smclient=f760e669-8538-11ec-83c8-18cf24ce389f&smconv=5bc4c379-a4c1-484f-a411-33ec93777504&smlid=9&utm_source=salesmanago&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default < Previous News Next News >

Social Determinants of Health Continue to Limit Access to Care via Telehealth Center for Connected Health Policy April 2021 A study published in JAMA Network Open found that over 27% of visits were conducted virtually in socially advantaged neighborhoods, compared to nearly 20% in disadvantaged areas. While telehealth increased care delivery during COVID-19, social determinants of health continue to limit access and highlight existing disparities related to the digital divide. A study published in JAMA Network Open found that over 27% of visits were conducted virtually in socially advantaged neighborhoods, compared to nearly 20% in disadvantaged areas. Meanwhile 24% of visits in urban areas were virtual compared to 14% in rural areas. The study also found that virtual care occurred more frequently for mental health visits than medical, that higher age and number of chronic diseases also correlated with higher telehealth utilization, and that increased use of telehealth was seen in areas with “COVID-19 hot spots” as well. The researchers stated that they hope these findings guide policymakers when looking to address ensuring access to care for all populations via telehealth moving forward. JAMA Network Study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2777779 < Previous News Next News >

Closing 2022 with New Telehealth G-Codes for HHAs, Uncertainty for Telehealth Startups, Plus State & Federal Telehealth Developments (and much more!) CCHP December 13, 2022 New G-Code Reporting Requirements for HHAs under CY 2023 CMS PPS Rule The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized new G-codes to report use of telecommunications technology under the home health benefit for Home Health Agencies (HHAs) under their finalized Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) Rate Update. HHAs are asked to voluntarily start reporting on January 1, 2023, and the requirement to report would kick in July 2023. CMS notes that in 2020 the home health benefit was temporarily altered due to COVID-19 (and made permanent in 2021) requiring any provision of remote patient monitoring or other services furnished via a telecommunications system to be included in the plan of care. The telecommunication service, however is not allowed to substitute for a home visit ordered by the plan of care or for purposes of eligibility or payment. Reporting of the new G-codes will allow CMS to analyze the characteristics of beneficiaries utilizing services remotely and have a broader understanding of the social determinants that affect who benefits most from these services. The codes HHAs will be asked to submit are detailed in a Medicare Learning Network (MLN) document, and include: G0320: Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via a real-time two-way audio and video telecommunications system G0321: Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via telephone or other real-time interactive audio-only telecommunications system G0322: The collection of physiologic data digitally stored and/or transmitted by the patient to the home health agency (for example, remote patient monitoring) For more details on the G-codes and reporting expectations, see the full MLN Guidance and the full text of the finalized CY 2023 Home Health PPS Rate Rule. Falling Investment for Telehealth Startups A recent article in Politico [subscription required] brings to light the stark decrease in investment in telehealth companies in 2022 (compared to 2021), as the pandemic subsides and a recession likely kicks in. In fact, while telehealth funding for digital health in the US peaked in 2021 with $11 billion dollars, that has fallen to only $3 billion by the third quarter of 2022. The effects of this slow down in capital is bound to ripple across the industry. As a result, many startups are laying off workers and focusing on just a few key offerings. Adding to the uncertainty of the future for these companies is how telehealth policies will impact them moving forward as state and federal governments shift from pandemic era temporary policies to often stricter permanent telehealth requirements with greater oversight. Cerebral, a digital mental health company, for example is currently under federal investigation for over-prescribing ADHD medication. This is the type of occurrence other telehealth companies may take note of and may shape the way they think about the future of their products and services in order to avoid such situations. Additionally, consumer demand has shifted post-pandemic. While consumers were enthusiastic about utilizing telehealth for most forms of healthcare in order to avoid crowded doctors’ offices and hospitals at the height of the pandemic, they now prefer to use it for check-ins with their doctors, mental health visits and addiction treatment, according a survey by the American Medical Association. This necessitates a shift for many telehealth start-ups, and according to Megan Zweig, COO of Rock Health, many companies are struggling with this. For more information, read the full Politico article [subscription required]. World Health Organization Telemedicine Implementation Guidance In November the World Health Organization (WHO) released a telemedicine implementation guide based on knowledge and learnings the WHO has gathered since releasing their first report on telemedicine in 2010. The set of recommendations within the new guide is aimed at optimizing the implementation of telemedicine services by providing an overview of key planning, implementation and maintenance processes to inform an investment plan and support countries across different stages in developing telehealth solutions. The guide contains three phases to developing a successful telehealth program, including (1) a situational assessment; (2) planning the implementation; and (3) monitoring and evaluation, and continuous improvement. There are a total of eleven steps within the three phases, including tasks such as performing a landscape analysis, establishing standard operating procedures, developing a budget and determining monitoring and evaluation goals, as well as an adaptive management plan for improvement. Several case studies from different countries, including India, Cabo Verde, Indonesia, Qatar and Mali are also provided in the annex section of the document. Download the full telemedicine implementation document from the WHO’s website for all the detailed steps outlined in their recommended procedures for telemedicine implementation. See full article: https://mailchi.mp/cchpca/closing-2022-with-new-telehealth-g-codes-for-hhas-uncertainty-for-telehealth-startups-plus-state-federal-telehealth-developments-and-much-more < Previous News Next News >

Memorial Hermann to provide school-based pediatric telehealth Naomi Diaz October 18, 2022 Houston-based Children's Memorial Hermann has partnered with telehealth company Hazel Health to provide outpatient pediatric care to K-12 students in Houston. Under the partnership, schools that have agreements with Hazel will be able to offer their students access to health services via virtual telehealth sessions, according to an Oct. 17 press release. Children's Memorial Hermann pediatricians or specialists will connect with the students through the program for follow-up or long-term care management. The aim of the partnership is to increase access to pediatric care in schools across 12 counties in southeast Texas. See original article: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/telehealth/memorial-hermann-to-provide-school-based-pediatric-telehealth.html < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth Elements in American Rescue Plan COVID Relief Bill Center for Connected Health Policy April 2021 $50 million in grants for local behavioral health services, including via telehealth, and $140 million for information technology, telehealth and electronic health records at the Indian Health Service. March marked the passage of the third major COVID-9 relief bill (HR 1319), titled the American Rescue Plan. While the bill didn’t include significant changes in telehealth policy as past relief legislation has, it did have some nuggets for telehealth. For example, it establishes an Emergency Rural Development for Rural Healthcare Grant pilot that would, among other things, support telehealth programs. The bill also allots $50 million in grants for local behavioral health services, including via telehealth, and sets aside $140 million for information technology, telehealth and electronic health records at the Indian Health Service. To learn more, see the full text of the bill. American Rescue Plan: https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr1319/BILLS-117hr1319enr.pdf Indian Health Services: https://www.ihs.gov/ < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth regulations don't go far enough for some Georgina Gonzalez April 21, 2022 Telehealth protections are fading as pandemic era waivers, which allowed providers to treat patients across state lines, are expiring. Many lobbyists are worried about the future of the industry and believe that the current proposals don't do enough to help secure its future, Politico reported April 20. More than 30 states have signed onto the American Medical Association favored Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which creates a common application for providers, allowing them to more easily apply for licenses to practice in other states. However, some lobbying groups don't think the compact is enough. "[The compact] streamlines the application process, but it doesn't do a lot to reduce the burdens and costs of maintaining a multistate licensure footprint. That is a source of a lot of frustration for physicians in telemedicine," Nate Lacktman, partner at Foley & Lardner's law firm told Politico. The American Telehealth Association believes states should recognize each other's licenses, but acknowledges that due to the federal nature of the country, more compacts will have to be created to get around the problem. Another advocacy group, the Alliance for Connected Care, has proposed a voluntary national system that would recognize licenses from other states. However, the ATA thinks the federal government could tie federal funding to the proposal to encourage states to sign on. For Full Posting: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/telehealth/telehealth-regulations-don-t-go-far-enough-for-some.html?origin=CIOE&utm_source=CIOE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=1372I2146745E8F < Previous News Next News >

State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, Fall 2022 CCHP October 2022 The Center for Connected Health Policy’s (CCHP) Fall 2022 Summary Report of the state telehealth laws and Medicaid program policies is now available as well as updated information on our online Policy Finder tool. The most current information in the online tool may be exported for each state into a PDF document. The following is a summary of the current status of telehealth policy in the states given these new updates. CCHP provides these bi-annual summary reports in the Spring and Fall each year to provide a snapshot of the progress made in the past six months. CCHP is committed to providing timely policy information that is easy for users to navigate and understand through our Policy Finder. The information for this summary report covers updates in state telehealth policy made between July and early September 2022. Read the executive summary While this Executive Summary provides an overview of findings, it must be stressed that there are nuances in many of the telehealth policies. To fully understand a specific policy and all its intricacies, the full language of it must be read utilizing CCHP’s telehealth Policy Finder. For further information, visit cchpca.org. We hope you find the report useful, and welcome your feedback and questions. You can direct your inquiries to Amy Durbin, Policy Advisor or Christine Calouro, Policy Associate at info@cchpca.org . A special thank you to CCHP Policy Associate Veronica Collins for her invaluable contributions to this report. INTRODUCTION The Center for Connected Health Policy’s (CCHP) Fall 2022 analysis and summary of telehealth policies are based on information contained in its online Policy Finder. The Summary Report provides highlights on certain aspects of telehealth policy and the changes that have taken place between now and the previous edition, Spring 2022. The research for this edition of the Summary was conducted between July and early September 2022. This summary offers the reader an overview of telehealth policy trends throughout the nation. For detailed information by state, see CCHP’s telehealth Policy Finder which breaks down policy for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Please note that many states continue to keep their temporary telehealth COVID-19 emergency policies siloed from their permanent telehealth policies. These temporary policies are not included in this summary, although they are listed under each state in the online Policy Finder under the COVID-19 category. In instances where the state has made policies permanent, or extended policies for multiple years, CCHP has incorporated those policies into this report. See full report: https://www.cchpca.org/resources/state-telehealth-laws-and-reimbursement-policies-report-fall-2022/ < Previous News Next News >

Configuring Virtual Care to Boost Pediatric Healthcare Quality, Access eVisit December 12, 2022 Virtual care can be a boon for pediatric patients and providers alike, but the key to a successful program lies in selecting and implementing the right technology. The rise in virtual care use has spurred greater access to healthcare, enabling providers to meet patients where they are. In the case of healthcare's youngest consumers, virtual care has not only helped mitigate barriers to care but also enhanced care delivery. Pediatric patients, like their adult counterparts, used virtual care in droves during the COVID-19 pandemic. One 2021 survey shows that one in five parents said their child had a virtual visit in the past year. Further, virtual care gained popularity among parents. Another survey showed that more than 60 percent of parents said they would want to continue using virtual modalities for their child's care after the pandemic, including almost 30 percent who hadn't used it previously. As a result, healthcare providers are increasingly implementing virtual care services for their pediatric populations. But selecting the right technology, and streamlining its implementation, are essential to ensuring the success of virtual pediatric care programs. BENEFITS OF PEDIATRIC VIRTUAL CARE PROGRAMS Virtual care offers pediatric patients and their providers a myriad of benefits, including expanded access to care. Many pediatric specialists treat patients across multiple states with facilities managing large patient populations. Children with chronic illnesses often have to take time out of school to see a specialist, while their parents or guardians have to take time off work. In addition, care providers may have trouble traveling to rural communities to provide care, taking unaffordable time away from the office for long periods as they care for individual patients across regions. "Virtual care not only increases efficiency but impacts access to care in ways in-person care cannot. It has helped those who don't have access to transportation, especially in the middle of the night," says Jacquelin Solomon, Implementations Project Manager at eVisit, a telemedicine solutions provider. "A parent with a sick child being able to have increased access to care — that's a huge thing that virtual care services provide now." Telehealth has been especially useful in unlocking access to specialty care for children, such as speech therapy and behavioral health services. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many specialty care providers didn't consider virtual care a viable option to provide care, according to Jackie Thomas, Enterprise Customer Success Manager at eVisit. But following the widespread use of virtual care during the public health emergency, providers found that it can, in fact, improve care quality, particularly for children with special needs. For instance, a 2022 pre-and post-data analysis showed wrap-around virtual care programs for children and adolescents with medical complexity demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in hospitalizations and ED visits. Virtual care can also be beneficial for providers to virtually observe an autistic child in their home environment where they are most comfortable and can best demonstrate their routine to develop an appropriate treatment plan, she adds. Further, virtual care supports pediatric care providers in several ways, including by boosting operational efficiency and clinician productivity. Care coordination, education, parental support, and care triage, in particular, become easier with virtual care, Solomon and Thomas note. KEY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SELECTING TELEHEALTH TECHNOLOGY To ensure the success of a pediatric virtual care program, healthcare providers must select the right technology. One key factor to consider is the configurability of the platform. "You do not want your highly compensated providers trying to figure out all the nooks and crannies of a platform that isn't configured and designed to their workflow," says Jason Weinrich, Senior Director of Professional Services at eVisit. Configuring the platform to clinical workflows — rather than adjusting workflows to the platform's capabilities — can support provider adoption and continuity of care. "Having that ability to quickly access the visit from their schedule, see a patient, hand off the patient to another clinician, like a nurse educator, all from one virtual care platform allows for continuity of care," Thomas states. "It also prevents burnout for the provider by allowing an MA to support rooming the patient and the entire clinical team to work at the top of their license." Additionally, customizing virtual care platforms can allow clinicians to address social determinants of health specific to the pediatric populations they serve. For instance, adding translation services to the platform can help providers engage with patients with limited English proficiency. "Providing access to these patient populations and allowing them to have the whole platform translated into Spanish increases patient satisfaction as well as adherence to care plans for non-English speaking pediatric patients and their parents or caregivers," says Solomon. Another critical consideration is whether the virtual care platform integrates into the provider's EHR, which can further streamline workflows, eliminate redundant and duplicative tasks, and increase proper visit documentation, freeing up providers for patient care, she adds. Ultimately, pediatric virtual care programs have the best chance for success when the selected technology meets the health system’s specific needs. The only way to ensure this is through detailed conversations between vendors and clinical leaders. "Clinical leaders need to have a conversation with vendors about what workflows look like with their solution, discussing what their clinical teams are doing every day, and where the pain points are,” says Weinrich. “Vendors should be able to recommend solutions to accommodate clinical workflows across multiple specialties, supporting both scheduled and on-demand visits. Bringing that insight into the conversation as opposed to just giving you their out-of-box product is key. Build that box together." BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPLEMENTATION Implementation of virtual care that supports the digitization of pediatric care requires significant efforts to ensure new care models do not inadvertently exacerbate inequities in care. Deciding on a comprehensive project plan is the first step. Platforms should be configurable to align with established workflows while also offering innovative ways to enhance workflows for greater efficiency. Then, there needs to be discussions around platform education and adoption strategies. Vendors should partner with the health system’s training teams to ensure a successful rollout. Health systems must then walk through the workflows before putting them into action. Having your providers test everything and offer real-time feedback before going live can prevent future issues. In this way, providers can ensure that the technology will power their pediatric virtual care programs and provide the necessary flexibility as virtual care preferences shift. "You want to adjust quickly because the market's adjusting quickly because patients enjoy the access virtual care gives them," Weinrich said. "It's exciting; we see our health system clinical teams getting very excited about jumping on, doing quick testing with us to make sure things work. They are excited too about where virtual care is headed." Though virtual care use has leveled off since its peak in the early months of the pandemic, virtual care has become an integral part of the healthcare delivery model. As pediatric providers optimize their programs, the right technology can go a long way toward widening access and improving the healthcare experience for patients and their families. ___________________________________ About eVisit eVisit is an enterprise virtual care delivery platform built for health systems and hospitals. It delivers innovative virtual experiences in care navigation, care delivery, and care engagement, improving margins at scale without sacrificing quality or patient and provider satisfaction. eVisit works seamlessly across enterprise service lines and departments to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and boost revenue. Based in Phoenix, Ariz., eVisit helps healthcare organizations innovate and succeed in today’s changing healthcare market. See original article: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/configuring-virtual-care-to-boost-pediatric-healthcare-quality-access < Previous News Next News >

Endocrine Society Provides Guidance for Appropriate Use of Telehealth Mark Melchionna October 07, 2022 The Endocrine Society published a policy perspective covering various factors, such as clinical and patient factors, which could help determine subjective care needs and whether telehealth use is appropriate. October 07, 2022 - Aiming to enhance personalized care, the Endocrine Society created a policy perspective containing five aspects of care that can help clinicians decide when using telehealth is appropriate. With 18,000 members spread across 122 countries, the Endocrine Society is focused on promoting efforts to treat all hormone-related conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and hormone-related cancers. Amid the rapid growth of telehealth that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare stakeholders anticipate that telehealth will continue to pave its way into various aspects of clinical care. Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the Endocrine Society policy perspective describes five aspects of care that can assist the process of determining when telehealth is appropriate. “Clinicians will need to draw upon their own knowledge of each patient and their clinical goals to decide when to incorporate telehealth into their care,” said the policy perspective's first author Varsha G. Vimalananda, MD, a physician-scientist at the VA Bedford Healthcare System and an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, in a press release. “Telehealth visits can be considered as an option each time we schedule an appointment. Patient preference should be elicited, and decisions guided by weighing the factors we describe in the perspective piece.” The five aspects of care to be considered when deciding whether telehealth is appropriate for a patient are clinical factors including whether an in-person exam is necessary, patient factors such as access to transportation and comfort level with technology, the patient-clinician relationship, the physical surroundings of the clinician, and the availability of infrastructure needed for telehealth visits. Telehealth is playing an increasingly valuable role in a personalized healthcare, but physicians and patients need to discuss how it fits into the care plan they are deciding on, according to the policy perspective. "Moving forward, endocrine care is likely to involve a hybrid of in-person and telehealth visits, and thus the decision to use telehealth for any given patient will not be made at a single time point but rather considered in a longitudinal context," the perspective states. Previous studies have indicated that various benefits that arose from telehealth expansion. For example, a study published in September found that increased telehealth use during the pandemic led to a drop in opioid overdose risk. Researchers studied data from before and during the pandemic, which indicated that the likelihood of receiving opioid use disorder services and medications was higher in the mid-pandemic patient group that had increased access to telehealth. Further, telehealth continues to be used widely across the country. Recent data from FAIR Health shows that telehealth use rose 1.9 percent nationally from June to July and that it increased in three of the four US census regions: the Midwest, the South, and the West. See original article: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/endocrine-society-provides-guidance-for-appropriate-use-of-telehealth < Previous News Next News >

Study: Teletherapy program reduces OCD symptoms Emily Olsen May 23, 2022 Researchers found a 43.4% mean reduction in patient-rated obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A teletherapy program reduced symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and most patients maintained improvements up to a year later, according to a study published in JMIR. The treatment, from digital mental health company NOCD, included twice-weekly video appointments that used exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy for three weeks. Patients then underwent six weeks of weekly half-hour video check-ins. Researchers followed up with the patients three, six, nine and twelve months after the therapy program. The study found a 43.4% mean reduction in patient-rated obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as a 44.2% mean reduction in depression, a 47.8% mean reduction in anxiety and a 37.3% mean reduction in stress symptoms. Of the more than 3,500 patients included in the study, more than 1,600 participated in follow-up surveys. The study's authors were employed by NOCD or reported they had received payments from NOCD while conducting the study. "The effect size was large and similar to studies of in-person ERP. This technology-assisted remote treatment is readily accessible for patients, offering an advancement in the field in the dissemination of effective evidence-based care for OCD," researchers wrote. WHY IT MATTERS The study's authors noted the virtual intervention took about 12 weeks and fewer than 11 therapist hours. "Technology assistance likely played an important role in this treatment’s ability to both engage and treat a large number of patients in wide-ranging geographic locations and to achieve a high mean rate of symptom improvement and a high rate of treatment response," they wrote. "Teletherapy using video allows people in remote locations to access treatment and to be able to complete, in-session, in vivo exercises in places and situations that are most relevant to, or triggering of, their symptoms." THE LARGER TREND NOCD announced it had raised $33 million in Series B funding in September last year. That brought its total financing to $50 million, according to Crunchbase. Mental health technology funding increased 139% globally in 2021, compared with 2020, bringing in $5.5 billion, according to a CB Insights report. Meanwhile, mental healthcare makes up a large portion of telehealth utilization in the U.S. Though utilization fell nationally in February, mental health diagnoses still made up more than 64% of telehealth claim lines, according to FAIR Health's tracker. For original article: https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/study-teletherapy-program-reduces-ocd-symptoms < Previous News Next News >

Most Americans Support Expansion of Asynchronous Telehealth Options Mark Melchionna July 21, 2022 A new survey shows that a majority of Americans support legislation that would expand asynchronous telehealth, thereby increasing access to care, particularly mental healthcare. Two-thirds (69 percent) of Americans are in favor of legislation to expand access to asynchronous telehealth, according to a new survey. Telehealth company Hims & Hers Health worked with polling firm Public Opinion Strategies to conduct a survey of 1,301 US adults between Feb. 13 and 17. The results indicate that optimizing telehealth and changing policies are critical. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected healthcare overall, resulting in an increased need for care, especially for behavioral healthcare. Dig Deeper Why Asynchronous Telehealth Has Been a Boon for Patients, Providers New Bill Seeks Nationwide Medicare Coverage for Asynchronous Telehealth Services Asynchronous Telehealth Can Extend Primary Care at Community Health Networks The survey found that only 38 percent of respondents reported having good mental health, which was lower than the 52 percent who said the same in February 2021. But about 60 percent of respondents said that accessing care is a problem. Researchers then collected data regarding virtual care methods that could help widen mental and physical healthcare access. About 55 percent of survey respondents said they have participated in a telehealth visit, higher than the 10 percent who reported the same in June 2019, 29 percent in April 2020, 43 percent in August 2020, and 51 percent in February 2021, according to the survey. In addition, asynchronous telehealth use is of high interest among survey respondents. About 69 percent of respondents favor legislation that could increase access to asynchronous telehealth. These types of legislation are most popular among Democrats (77 percent) and Black adults (76 percent), though high proportions of Republicans (60 percent) and Hispanic adults (70 percent) are also in support. In addition, a vast majority of healthcare workers (82 percent) indicated high levels of support for expanding asynchronous telehealth. “Patients want to receive care in the way that works best for them, and this is increasingly a combination of telehealth support via synchronous real-time video consultation and asynchronous interactions, as well as in-person care between providers and patients," said Galen Alexander, director of public affairs at Hims & Hers, in an email. "Telehealth, both synchronous and asynchronous, can help address some of the mental health crises our country is facing. Based on this representative survey, Americans want to be in control of their care and would like to see legislators allow for different modes of receiving care.” Previous research has also indicated an increasing need for telemental healthcare. A study published in January showed that despite a slight decline in overall telehealth use, virtual mental healthcare remained popular. It also revealed that mental health conditions were the most common telehealth diagnosis in September and October 2021. Lawmakers do appear to be taking steps to expand telemental healthcare. In May, four US Senators released a discussion draft of telehealth policies for mental healthcare initiatives that focus on increasing access and directing insurers to support virtual care. For original article: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/most-americans-support-expansion-of-asynchronous-telehealth-options < Previous News Next News >