Increased telehealth access during the pandemic may have changed the content of primary care appointments. How will this affect care in the future? By Sara Heath October 13, 2020 – Telehealth was instrumental in offsetting some of the serious decrease in primary care access during the onset of the COVID-19 public health crisis, but a retrospective analysis is highlighting some […]
Telehealth visits did account for 35 percent of all primary care encounters in Q2 2020, but it wasn’t enough to fill the primary care void at the height of COVID-19 Rajiv Leventhal Oct 12th, 2020 In response to the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders earlier this year, providers aggressively turned to telehealth for care delivery, when […]
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Investments will Benefit More Than 12 Million Rural Residents WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $72 million in grants to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities. These investments will benefit more than 12 […]
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced that the USDA will distribute a combined $72 million in grants to help rural citizens access educational opportunities and telehealth care. The grants are expected to benefit over 12 million rural residents nationwide. “Increasing access to telemedicine and distance learning is critical to building […]
In the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, statistics are demonstrating that telemedicine services offer the potential to improve access to quality care while reducing strain on patients, family caregivers, nurses and physicians. A 2019 study from the American Telemedicine Association demonstrated that the quality of health care services delivered via telemedicine are as good […]
Even after the pandemic, patients will be unwilling to return to the less-streamlined status quo, says Clive Smith. By Kat Jercich October 09, 2020 01:29 PM As the COVID-19 crisis began sweeping through the country this spring, hospitals sought a way for clinicians to treat infectious patients while maintaining distance from them if possible. In that […]
Covid-19 has catapulted medicine into a new, virtual world. Although telemedicine has been around for years, it’s quickly transitioned in the last 6 months from a “nice-to-have” for medical practices, to a real necessity. Today, physicians rely on telemedicine to see their patients, as well as diagnose and treat minor and chronic conditions. But what […]
Telehealth was available prior to COVID-19 but its use certainly wasn’t as widespread as it is today. Telemedicine has been used for some time in the U.S. and has been preferable to some, worrisome to others. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit, it seems to have quickly become the norm and seems to be […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state Medicaid agencies have temporarily expanded their telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in varying degrees. States, providers, advocates and families recognize the important role that telehealth has played in maintaining access to care during the pandemic and are now turning to the difficult work of evaluating which components of […]
The COVID-19 pandemic was a real turning point, not only for people, but also for businesses across the world. Organizations had to change their operating models overnight and adapt to new ways of working to ensure business continuity and to manage the demands of the pandemic. Organizations, especially in the most impacted sectors like healthcare, […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick and […]
On September 3, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its Rural Action Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan: (i) details the challenges rural communities endure; (ii) provides an assessment of current and upcoming rural healthcare efforts; (iii) lays out a “Four Point Strategy” to address the disparities between rural and urban communities; and (iv) […]
Telehealth provides convenience to patients. It has the potential to improve patient outcomes by ensuring worrisome signs and symptoms are discussed with a clinician as quickly as possible. And it’s a lifeline during a pandemic for medically-vulnerable individuals who should not be going anywhere near other sick people. It also has the potential to be […]
A familiar echo of “we should have done this earlier” surrounds processes that could have been implemented before the pandemic hit. Telehealth is a prime example. The American Telemedicine Association is taking advantage of its success during the crisis to make telehealth a permanent fixture in U.S. healthcare. House calls seem like a quaint relic […]