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Research, Surveys, and Telehealth News
Check out the Alliance for Connected Care studies and polling website for more reseources.
The Hill: (9/7) – An op-ed in The Hill from the Progressive Policy Institute discusses the expansion of telehealth during COVID-19 and calls for policymakers to make telehealth easier to access beyond the pandemic.
Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC): (9/8) – The Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) recently released a new report using data from the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) showing that the use of telehealth services in Colorado was on the rise before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. From January 2018 to February 2020, telehealth utilization per 1,000 members increased from 57 to 75.9 (33%) for commercial, 28.9 to 55.1 (91%) for Medicaid, and 125.7 to 142 (13%) for Medicare Advantage members.
Healthcare IT News: (9/8) – Since implementing artificial intelligence and voice technology, Orlando Internal Medicine’s administrative workload has been reduced almost 60%, leading to an increase in clinical care capacity and reducing physician burnout.
HIT Consultant: (9/8) – According to GlobalData, downloads of U.S. Telemedicine apps from leading telehealth companies have reported dramatic increases since the COVID-19 pandemic began, some experiencing upwards of 8,000% increases in downloads.
The Hill: (9/8) – An op-ed in The Hill presents the benefits of telehealth for both patients and providers, noting that, “telemedicine is a feasible option for providers to remain in medicine who need to transition from in-person patient care, whether it be due to age, physical limitations or burnout.”
Health Affairs: (9/9) – A recent survey of primary care practices from April to July 2020 identified five action items for policy makers and insurers to support to achieve a seamless integration of telehealth into primary care: 1) Harmonize the reimbursement criteria; 2) Create billing codes or payment models for the additional work required to offer telehealth; 3) Provide coverage for at-home monitoring devices; 4) Incentivize the development of and access to, patient- and provider-centered telehealth technology; 5) Review, revise, and communicate telehealth malpractice policies.
Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC): (9/10) – URAC announced its updated telehealth accreditation standards (v 3.0). URAC’s new program addresses the current, rapid growth of telehealth during COVID-19 while being forward-looking with a focus on quality, privacy and security.
Fierce Healthcare: (9/11) – Among the 20% of physicians in a survey who have not provided care via telehealth in the past three months, neatly 50% cited lingering reservations about the quality of care they can provide remotely, 44% cited liability risks, and roughly 30% cited concerns about privacy/data security.
STAT: (9/10) – STAT spoke with Mintu Turakhia, a cardiac electrophysiologist and executive director of Stanford’s Center for Digital Health on remote patient monitoring and the future of digital health post-COVID-19.
mHealthIntelligence: (9/10) - The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society & the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California unveiled the Accountability, Coordination and Telehealth in the Valley to Achieve Transformation and Equity (ACTIVATE). The pilot project will provide telehealth and remote patient monitoring services to underserved residents, along with providing health education and digital literacy training.
Healthcare Dive: (9/10) – A new report from cybersecurity ratings firm SecurityScorecard and dark web research company DarkOwl found that targeted cyberattacks on telehealth vendors jumped 30% during March through April this year, the same telehealth adoption skyrocketed.
PR Newswire: (9/11) – SummitWest Care, a non-profit home care agency servicing rural regions across Colorado, launched a telehealth and remote patient monitoring program. The program will enroll COVID positive patients in the telehealth and remote monitoring program following hospital treatment. SummitWest will also target post-surgical patients and chronic care patients including those with COPD, CHF, and hypertension.
The Hill: Reps. Wagner (R-MO), Wittman (R-VA), Stivers (R-OH) and Hill (R-AR) issued an op-ed supporting the Telehealth Act (H.R. 7992), introduced by Rep. Wagner (R-MO) and which includes a package of nine bills introduced by Republicans to expand access to telehealth services. The Reps. note that, “Telehealth is a new frontier of medicine that will give families and patients the ability to choose how to get health care on their own terms, not terms dictated by bureaucratic restrictions.”
Health Affairs: (9/11) – An article in Health Affairs regarding the waiver to allow telehealth for prescribing controlled substances suggests making this action permanent would improve buprenorphine access and address health equity.
NCQA Inside Health Care Blog: (9/11) - NCQA’s Director of Federal Affairs Paul Cotton talks about the Taskforce on Telehealth Policy and it’s efforts to map a future for the newly embraced way of delivering care. The committee releases its final report on September 15, 2020 at 2PM ET.
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