Telehealth Research, Reports and Surveys
Globe Newswire: SmileDirectClub Survey Reveals Growing Popularity and Acceptance of Telehealth (3/24) – A recent survey by SmileDirectClub found that consumers want telehealth services to continue following the accelerated adoption of telehealth during the pandemic. Nearly eight in 10 people (77 percent) had a neutral to positive experience, and more than half of respondents (59 percent) agreed or strongly agreed that they are more open to receiving care through telehealth as a result of the pandemic. The continued acceptance of telehealth will allow health and dental care providers to create more affordable and accessible experiences for patients, without sacrificing safety or quality.
mHealth Intelligence: Telehealth Supported Care for Community Mental Health Centers (3/23) – A recent
study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Mental Health found that telehealth supported care continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic for community mental health center patients with serious mental illness. Researchers found that female patients between 18 and 34 with less severe diagnoses, such as anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder, were most likely to use telehealth. Researchers concluded that telehealth was highly resourceful for community mental health center patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will continue to open possibilities for future methods of care.
HIT Consultant: Telemedicine-Supported Medication-Assisted Treatment Should Remain Available After Pandemic (3/23) – According to a survey conducted by Bicycle Health, 100 percent of patients believe that telemedicine-supported Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) should remain available even after the pandemic comes to an end. Patients reported affordability as the biggest barrier to joining an opioid recovery program, as well as not finding a program they trust that is located in their area. Telemedicine makes these recovery programs available and accessible to more people.
Healthcare IT News: Telehealth Can Effectively Manage COVID-19 At Home, Study Finds (3/23) – A University of Iowa study
published in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare found that an at-home telemonitoring program was an effective and sustainable way to manage COVID-19 for patients. Most patients did well with the program, with observed rates of hospitalization and mortality lower compared to national and regional averages. The study highlights a novel method of providing health care in a technology-driven world, reducing the utilization of hospital resources while also allowing timely identification of disease progression and rapid escalation to inpatient care when necessary.
American Medical Association: AMA Survey Shows Widespread Enthusiasm For Telehealth (3/23) – A survey
by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that 85 percent of physicians now use telehealth and 70 percent plan to continue using virtual services after the pandemic. However, only eight percent of physicians currently use remote patient monitoring. The survey also found that more than two-thirds of telehealth providers said they use audio-only modalities to offer telehealth services. Most physicians (54 percent) agree that telehealth increased their professional satisfaction, and 62 percent believe it has helped boost patient satisfaction. Physicians view telehealth as providing quality care to their patients, and policymakers and payers have come to the same conclusion. This survey shows adoption of telehealth is widespread, as is the demand for continued access to virtual care for Medicare patients.
mHealth Intelligence: Telehealth Helped Maintain Type 1 Diabetes Care Among Kids During Pandemic (3/22) – A study
published in BMC Pediatrics found that the utilization of telehealth devices, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), helped providers continue to care for children with type 1 diabetes as the COVID-19 pandemic upended health care delivery. Between 2019 and 2020, outpatient visits decreased among pediatric type 1 diabetics with commercial insurance, but not those with non-commercial insurance. Researchers concluded that increased adoption of continuous glucose monitors and extensive use of telemedicine visits may have ameliorated the impact of the pandemic on disease management.
Healthcare Finance News: Telehealth Will Endure, But Providers Are Managing Expectations (3/22) – According to recent survey
by UnitedHealth Group, telehealth technology has been cited for its convenience, especially when usage skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are also frustrations from providers. The survey found 58 percent of providers were frustrated with the quality of care they can provide through virtual platforms, and 55 percent said they have to manage patient expectations for virtual visits. However, despite these concerns, 93 percent of providers said they would continue to use telehealth when the public health emergency ends.
mHealth Intelligence: Telehealth Cut Missed Appointments Among Kids With TB by 11 Percent (3/21) – A study
published in the Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease journal found the implementation of telehealth had a significant impact on missed follow-up appointments among pediatric patients with tuberculosis infections (TBI), reducing the rate of missed visits by 11.1 percent. Before implementing telehealth, 16.9 percent of TBI patients missed appointments between 2016 and 2019. In 2021, after telehealth services were implemented, 54.2 percent of follow-up TBI visits took place virtually. The missed follow-up appointment rate for children with TBI declined from 16.9 percent to 5.8 percent.
Insider Intelligence: A window into how doctors are using telehealth—and where there’s room for improvement (3/21) – A recent survey
by Optum found that the top-used health care services conducted via telehealth were primary care (54 percent), prescription refills (26 percent), and chronic care (16 percent). While telehealth enables providers and patients to have a direct line to each other, it can vary from provider to provider, so it’s important that patient communication and data isn’t left in silos and that different clinicians can easily access the data they need to seamlessly coordinate care.
Drug Topics: Telehealth Services Evaluated Vs Standard Care for Diabetes (3/20) – A study presented at the American Pharmacist Association Conference found that the telehealth diabetes management program (telephone or video visits) may be a successful method to improve diabetes management by 1) lowering A1c and 2) improving immunization rates. Researchers emphasized that having a comprehensive telehealth diabetes care model, which includes assessing transportation as a barrier to care, can lead to better coordination of care and access in a low income, uninsured population.
Physician’s Weekly: Telehealth May Increase Access to Substance Use Treatment During COVID-19 (3/19) – A recent study
published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, which examined patient characteristics associated with the use of phone versus video-enabled tele-medication for opioid use disorders (tele-MOUD) during COVID-19, found that most tele-MOUD encounters completed by patients (79.62 percent) were video visits. Of these encounters, 23.08 percent were telephone visits. Notably, elderly patients and patients who were less educated (and who also disproportionately experience a digital divide) were more likely to rely on a telephone visit for their care. The study suggests that both video and telephone telehealth visits may be helpful in accessing treatment for opioid use disorders, though patient characteristics of each group may differ slightly.
American Journal of Managed Care: Digital Technology Could Be Helpful for COPD Management in the Future (3/2) – A recent narrative review published in the Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease journal found that digital technology can be beneficial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to learn proper self-management of the disease, such as learning the correct inhaler technique. Telehealth interventions were associated with fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits for patients with COPD. Health care providers cited their concern about telehealth visits as they cannot take social and physical cues from the information given to them. The researchers recommended that health care professionals get proper training in digital innovations to address their concerns.
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