Telehealth Research, Reports and Surveys
mHealth Intelligence: Lack of mHealth Technologies Disrupt Workflows for Hospitalists (1/7) – According to a study published in JMIR Human Factors, user-centered mHealth technology and applications could help reduce burden and increase the efficiency of workflows for hospitalists. Researchers interviewed 12 hospitalists, who collectively identified chart reviews, orders, and documentation as the most frequent, redundant and difficult tasks in their workflows. Intake, discharge and rounding workflows were characterized as difficult and inefficient, stemming from a lack of access to electronic health records at the bedside. Participants suggested that mobile apps designed to improve team communications would be most beneficial to improve efficiency in their workflows.
Healio: Studies offer insight into telehealth availability, patient use for cancer management (1/5) – Data from two studies revealed disparities in telehealth availability and use among patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to presenters during the virtual American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. One study found that 85.2 percent of hospitals reported having telehealth capacity for patients with breast cancer. Factors associated with telehealth use included facility type, teaching hospital status, geographic location, and hospital size. Factors not associated with telehealth availability included for-profit vs. non-profit status and population base in a center’s location. Researchers noted the importance of recognizing patient preferences for how they’d like to interact with the health care system as incredibly important.
mHealth intelligence: Female, Behavioral Health Physicians Led Early Telehealth Adoption (1/5) – A study found that female, primary care, and behavioral health physicians were more likely to adopt virtual care early in the pandemic compared to male and surgical specialty physicians. Primary care and behavioral health specialists were more likely to be early adopters compared to other specialty physicians. About 64 percent of primary care physicians and 41 percent of behavioral health physicians adopted virtual care during the first week of the public health emergency. Additionally, nearly 10 percent and 30 percent of primary care and behavioral health physicians, respectively, had adopted telehealth before the pandemic. Those who transitioned earlier towards telehealth were more perceptive towards patient-centered communication.
mHealth Intelligence: Rural Cancer Survivors Report Low Telehealth Availability, Internet Access
(1/4) – A study
published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found a wide digital divide among Medicare cancer survivors, with urban survivors being more likely to use telehealth as compared with their rural counterparts. The study found that while 62 percent of cancer survivors covered by Medicare reported that their usual practitioner provided telehealth services, rural survivors reported lower telehealth availability at 53 percent, as compared to 63 percent for those who lived in urban areas. Rural cancer survivors were less likely to own technology required for a telehealth visit, and were also less likely to have internet access compared to patients living in urban areas.
HealthDay News: Telemedicine as Good as In-Person for Many Health Conditions: Review (1/3) – A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found replacing office visits with video checkups delivered results that were just as effective for patients being treated for conditions like diabetes, respiratory illnesses, chronic pain, heart problems and neurological disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in the use of video teleconferencing in health care. Researchers concluded that video telemedicine generally provided care as good as in-person care, and sometimes was even better.
Modern Healthcare: U.S. saw significant drop in telehealth use last year after rapid growth in 2020 (1/3) – A recent analysis found that telehealth utilization declined by an average of 40.3 percent a month last year compared with 2020, largely due to patients returning to physician offices for in-person care in 2021. A review
by Trilliant Health found that South Dakota saw the largest drop in utilization with 60.2 percent less telehealth usage in 2021, and the smallest declines occurred in New Mexico, Oregon, and Arizona.
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