Telehealth News and Market Developments
AHIP: Updated Core Set Highlights the Role of Telehealth (8/17) - The Core Quality Measures Collaborative (CQMC) announced updates to eight of its core measure sets. The CQMC also updated the implementation guidance that accompanies the core sets to highlight the role of telehealth, changes in endorsement status, and considerations for measure use to facilitate the widescale adoption of the sets. The CQMC routinely assesses its measure sets to ensure novel concepts are incorporated while only high-value measures are maintained. The updates include the addition of new measures which assess the outcomes of care and emphasize the need for improved care coordination and care transitions.
mHealth Intelligence: Scaling an RPM Program to Enhance Chronic Disease Management (8/14) - Prisma Health is expanding its remote patient monitoring program after a slew of positive clinical results, but expansion involves significant change management. Prisma Health launched its RPM and CCM program following a partnership with virtual care company HealthSnap last June. The health system is currently in the process of expanding the RPM and CCM program to 81 primary care physicians. This process requires collaboration with multiple stakeholders within the health system.
Cincinnati Children's: Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health Expand Specialty Care Telehealth Partnership (8/10) - Cincinnati Children's announced a partnership with Parkview Health on telehealth clinics to enhance care in pediatric neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy for kids. The consultations with Cincinnati Children’s experts will be available to outpatients at Parkview Regional Medical Center, which will work closely with community and hospital-based providers to coordinate care and support services for children and their families who will benefit from these specialty medical services. Under the new agreement, Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health will continue to share best practices and treatment protocols, and advance innovations that are based on Cincinnati Children’s world-class research. For additional coverage, see mHealth Intelligence.
Healthcare IT News: How RTM is a Potential Game-Changer for Improving Outcomes (8/9) - With remote therapeutic monitoring, care teams are alerted and can intervene quickly when a patient is concerned or isn’t progressing as expected. Early action potentially can prevent complications and avoid unnecessary ED visits. RTM can empower patients toward better health and reduce extra in-person visits, making it easier and less costly for people, such as those in rural areas, to receive care. It also can reduce unnecessary trips to the emergency room and hospital readmissions that cause health care costs to skyrocket. Healthcare IT News interviewed Bronwyn Spira, CEO and cofounder of Force Therapuetics to offer a deep dive into RTM and how it can improve health outcomes.
Healio: American Heart Association Launches Its First Individual Telehealth Certification (8/9) - The American Heart Association (AHA) launched a certification that demonstrates commitment to telehealth care. The online program includes research, hands-on experiences and best practices. The certification aims to standardize training for health care providers in telehealth care delivery, increase skills and competencies in telehealth care delivery and help improve patient outcomes though telehealth integration.
Sanford Health: Sanford Expands Remote Patient Monitoring (8/9) - Sanford Health announced its Sanford CareSignal, a remote patient monitoring program that allows patients to self-report symptoms via call or text. The program will monitoring chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and recovery after discharge from the hospital or emergency department (ED). For additional coverage, see Becker's Health IT.
Refresh Miami: MedSys Provides Remote Patient Monitoring for Chronic Care (8/8) - MedSys, a remote patient monitoring health tech startup, is focused on improving health outcomes for patients with chronic conditions. About 81 million adults in the US have at least one chronic condition, and the majority of that group have more than one condition. Chronic diseases and conditions, like hypertension, heart disease, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, obesity and respiratory health, account for more than 75 percent of the $4.1 trillion annually spent on health care in the US. MedSys has also partnered with AT&T and its FirstNet program to ensure connectivity for patients to utilize the MedSys platform.
Healthcare IT News: What the Telehealth Expansion Act Means for Tackling Social Determinants and Boosting Health Equity (8/7) - Kamala Green, social drivers of health program manager at National Government Services, explains how the Telehealth Expansion Act (H.R. 1843/S. 1001) and other efforts like it will address challenges around SDOH to make quality care accessible to all. The bill makes permanent telehealth flexibilities that were first introduced in the CARES Act of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibilities that were set to expire at the end of December 2024 along with other telehealth extension provisions. It allows for health plans and employers to cover telehealth visits for individuals with high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts, providing families with the critical flexibility that allows them to maintain access to a range of affordable virtual care services before the deductible is met.
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