Millions of Americans are likely to lose internet access due to funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program ending in April. Limited internet access will impact rural communities that depend on telehealth options, according to Ann Fronczek, telehealth expert and associate…
Tag: Telehealth
Mount Sinai Health System Receives 2023 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Recognition
Mount Sinai receives award honoring health organizations that use information technology to enhance health care and outcomes
Rapid Telehealth Consults Improve Care for Rural Patients With Stroke
A telestroke program at Essentia Health addressed barriers to rapid diagnosis and intervention for rural patients with stroke symptoms, decreasing door-to-needle time and improving outcomes.
Distance from clinic influences abortion pill access
“One of the main takeaways,” said lead author Anna Fiastro, a family medicine research scientist at UW Medicine, “is that the further patients are from a brick-and-mortar clinic, the more likely they are to use telehealth to access medication abortion.”
Study: Is Teledentistry Here to Stay?
A new UAlbany School of Public Health study examines the rise of teledentistry — including ways that it has proven effective, barriers to service access and comparisons across states
What will it take to make mental health coverage & care better?
From psychiatrists to experts in telehealth, public health and primary care, a range of reactions from University of Michigan faculty to the recent federal proposal for mental health policy, and related issues.
Deep-dive on telehealth use in Michigan shows importance for mental, rural & out-of-state care
A new single-state report looks at patterns of telehealth use by people with different forms of insurance before and during the pandemic, and could inform post-pandemic health policy.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine Approved for $4.4 Million PCORI Funding Award to Study Telehealth
A team of researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been approved for a $4.4 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to assess the benefits of expanding telehealth by primary care physicians to children with complex chronic conditions and their caregivers. The project is a collaboration with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s in Winston-Salem and Atrium Health Levine Children’s in Charlotte.
Baylor Scott & White Health and NextCare Urgent Care Form Partnership to Jointly Own All NextCare Sites in Texas
Baylor Scott & White Health — the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas, and NextCare Urgent Care — one of the nation’s leading privately held providers of urgent care announce the creation of a new partnership to expand high-quality, convenient care options for patients in Texas.
People with disabilities who have alcohol problems need more treatment and recovery options
One in four Americans live with a disability, which is associated with stigma and disparities in health care. New research examined differences in alcohol use by disability status and types of disability, and found a need for a range of accommodations in alcohol treatment and recovery services – including technology-based options. These results and others will be shared at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.
Mount Sinai Patients Receive Greater and Faster Access to Care With New Expanded Digital Tools
Mount Sinai Health System patients will experience greater access to care, fast identification of symptoms, efficient online search and connection to specialists, and easy appointment scheduling thanks to newly launched Digital Experience tools accessible on their smartphones or computers.
UC Irvine-led study finds Medicaid telemedicine coverage boosted use, healthcare access
Medicaid telemedicine coverage between 2013 and 2019 was associated with significant growth in telemedicine use and improved healthcare access, while private policies did not have such an association, according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine. An analysis of 20,000 records of U.
Logging on for health: More older adults use patient portals, but access and attitudes vary widely
Far more older adults these days log on to secure websites or apps to connect with their health information or have a virtual health care appointment, compared with five years ago, a new poll shows. But it also reveals major disparities, with some groups of older adults less likely to use patient portals, or more likely to have concerns about them.
11 things to know now that COVID-19 isn’t an “emergency” anymore
Life has changed forever because of COVID-19. And the virus is still spreading, and still causing serious illness or significant disruption of ‘normal’ life. But when the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. on May 11, some of the special rules and programs put in place during the past three years will end. Here’s a guide.
Fewer than 10% of patients screened for food insecurity during pandemic
As jobless rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more Americans experienced food insecurity because they lacked consistent access to food. National health organizations recommend primary care providers screen patients for food insecurity, since not having access to enough food can lead to chronic diseases.
Asthma management post COVID: What are the challenge and opportunities?
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the healthcare landscape and presented new challenges for individuals and healthcare providers.
Mount Sinai Collaborates with The New York Public Library to Support Telehealth Access and Digital Literacy Skills
In an effort to expand equitable health care throughout New York City, the Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) department at Mount Sinai Health System is collaborating with The New York Public Library (NYPL) to support access to health services through electronic information or technologies—better known as telehealth—and digital literacy skills.
Pandemic shift to telemedicine helped maintain quality of care for depression
The rapid transition from in-person to care to telemedicine visits at the start of the COVID 19 pandemic did not adversely affect the quality of care – and even improved some aspects of care – for patients with major depression in a major integrated health system, according to a new report. The study appears as part of a special “Virtual Visits” supplement to Medical Care, published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Cedars-Sinai Launches Customized, Convenient Virtual Second Opinion Throughout California and Several Additional States
Cedars-Sinai is taking telehealth and the patient experience to the next level, now offering Cedars-Sinai Virtual Second Opinion—an online platform connecting individuals in need of complex cardiac, spine or gynecologic care with top-ranked experts who provide customized treatment options and virtual education sessions.
Local Leaders Announce Plan to Strengthen Health Services in Imperial County
Representatives from the City of El Centro, El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC), and UC San Diego Health today announced a strategic and operational plan to stabilize and financially bolster ECRMC.
Telehealth cuts health care’s carbon footprint and patient’s costs during pandemic
UC Davis Health researchers assessed the carbon footprint and potential savings in lives, costs and time of telehealth visits during the pandemic’s first two years. They found that video visits in five UC health systems resulted in substantial savings in patient costs and carbon emissions.
Transition to Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic Accompanied by Increased Utilization of Alcohol Treatment
The transition to telehealth-based care at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by an increase in initiation of and engagement with specialty alcohol treatment, according to a study of health records at one large U.S. health system. The study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found the greatest increases in odds of initiating treatment were among 18- to 34-year-olds, a group that has historically been less likely to seek treatment for alcohol problems. Notably, the transition to telehealth did not appear to worsen racial and ethnic disparities in treatment for alcohol problems and may have facilitated treatment for specific populations. The findings provide timely considerations for structuring post-pandemic models of health care for alcohol use problems.
Mount Sinai First in Region Offering Telehealth Visits for Low-Acuity 911 Ambulance Calls
Unique program keeps patients with less severe conditions out of the Emergency Department, saving them time and money
Ochsner Ranks for Being “Most Wired” for Digital Healthcare
Among the more than 38,000 organizations surveyed by CHIME, Ochsner ranked above peers in categories like analytics and data management, population health, infrastructure, and patient engagement. The survey assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in health care organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.
Endocrine Society experts recommend individualized approach to use of telehealth
Following rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth visits are expected to remain an important part of endocrine care, according to a new Endocrine Society policy perspective published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
AACN Consensus Statement Addresses Evolving Tele-critical Care Nursing Practice
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has published an update to its landmark standards for tele-critical care nursing practice, offering specific recommendations for the development and enhancement of tele-critical care programs.
Telehealth Makes Hearing Health Care More Equitable
In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, scientists explore how digital health solutions can expand audiology services in clinical and research settings. Audiology assessment via telehealth would allow patients to access care while a specialist is located hundreds of miles away and, as a research tool, telehealth would allow for more representative and decentralized data on hearing, without compromising results. The team is currently scaling up several studies they conducted in rural areas of Alaska; their mission is to close the gap on hearing health disparities.
Global Health Panel Publishes New Research Highlighting Ambiguity in Digital Health-Related Definitions
Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR, announced the publication of a new report examining digital health terms and their definitions from the perspective of their applicability for outcomes research.
Online Chair Yoga Viable Exercise for Isolated Older Adults with Dementia
Researchers evaluated a remotely supervised online chair yoga intervention targeted at older adults with dementia and measured clinical outcomes virtually via Zoom under the remote guidance. Results showed that remotely supervised online chair yoga is a feasible approach for managing physical and psychological symptoms in socially isolated older adults with dementia based on retention (70 percent) and adherence (87.5 percent), with no injury or other adverse events.
Telehealth by phone & video proves a lifeline for veterans with opioid addiction
Phone-based and video-based telehealth visits both helped veterans with opioid addiction stay on buprenorphine medication to treat their opioid use disorder during the pandemic. The findings could inform telemedicine policy.
Telehealth-delivered maternal care yields similar results to in-person visits
A rapid systematic review of published research found that when telehealth-delivered care was used to supplement or replace in-person maternal care services, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction were similar, and sometimes better, compared to in-person care. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Latest Study on Telehealth Consultations Highlights Potential Health Inequalities
Researchers at Staffordshire University warn that the rapid expansion of telehealth consultations may increase disparities in access for vulnerable people.
UCSF Dermatologist Inaugurated as AMA President
Jack S. Resneck Jr., MD, was inaugurated today as the 177th president of the American Medical Association (AMA). Resneck is a dermatologist, professor and vice-chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Francisco. Following a year-long term as president-elect of the nation’s premier physician organization, Resneck today assumed the office of AMA president.
Doctors across state borders: Telehealth study could inform policy
Under special interstate licensure rules, telehealth across state lines rose sharply from before the pandemic, a new study finds. But now that those rules have expired or will soon, the study could help guide those who will decide what happens next.
Study Evaluates How to Eliminate Telemedicine’s Virtual Waiting Room
UC San Diego Health conducted a 10-week study to evaluate how text messaging a link to patients when their doctor is ready provides a way to connect patients and doctors without relying on the virtual waiting room.
Home is where the hospital is
Hospital at home programs, and remote patient monitoring from home, hold promise for discharging patients earlier or keeping them out of the emergency room or hospital. But policy decisions will affect their future.
Community Health Pioneer McNeal Receives AACN Award
Gloria McNeal, of National University, will receive the 2022 AACN Pioneering Spirit Award in recognition of her efforts to bring healthcare directly to those most in need and introduce telehealth and remote monitoring to critical care.
New Clinical Advances in Gastroenterology Presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 86th Annual Scientific Meeting
Featured science includes increased incidence of pancreatic cancer among young women, quality of life improvements in IBD, colorectal cancer risk from weight loss surgery and medications, and more
Region, race, and age linked with likelihood of cancer patients using telehealth services
Two studies improve understanding of how video and telephone telehealth services are used by patients and cancer centers across the country.
ILEANA HOWARD, MD HONORED WITH 2021 ADVOCACY AWARD FROM AANEM
Longtime advocate of veteran healthcare and quality telehealth medical care, Ileana Howard, MD, has been selected for the 2021 AANEM Advocacy Award.
Jefferson Launches Center for Connected Care
Plans national Consensus Conference on Research in Telehealth
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY AND 19 KIDNEY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON CONGRESS TO PROTECT LIVING DONORS, FUND RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO TELEHEALTH
Today, advocates of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and 19 other kidney health professional and patient organizations are meeting with their congressional delegations, calling on them to enact policies to improve kidney health
American College of Rheumatology Responds to 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) shared its perspective on the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule.
Surgical patients find virtual follow-up care more convenient without loss of satisfaction
Most patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy or cholecystectomy found virtual follow-up care more convenient than traditional in-person appointments, yet equally as satisfying.
Mount Sinai Health System Launches Comprehensive Mobile App for Patients
New features include upload for COVID-19 vaccination proof and hospital navigation
UC San Diego Health Launches New Center to Spur Patient-Centered Technologies
From tele-monitoring patients with diabetes to using artificial intelligence to prevent sepsis, the newly launched Center for Health Innovation will seek to develop, test and commercialize technologies that make a real, measurable difference in the lives and wellbeing of patients.
Mount Sinai Cardiologist Leads Effort to Outline Guidance for Management of Heart Failure Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic
New scientific statement aims to establish more streamlined care to improve outcomes in this high-risk group
Counseling Profession Urged to Adopt Unified Standards of Care for Teletherapy
The COVID-19 crisis spurred a rapid migration of mental health providers from in-person to online services. However, mental health providers conducting teletherapy are not currently required to be trained in telehealth and are operating without consistent uniform standards of practice. A proposed comprehensive list of practice standards co-authored by Donna Sheperis, PhD, and Arielle Smith and published in the Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision call for the counseling profession to adopt a proposed Standards of Practice for Telehealth.
Virtual Lung Cancer Screenings Offered by Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center
Telehealth Visits Provide Early Detection, More Treatment Options and Better Chance of Survival August 1 is World Lung Cancer Awareness Day, a global initiative to raise awareness to the fact that lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer…
Why telehealth is not meeting the needs of African Americans with diabetes
Mistrust in physicians kept some Black patients with diabetes from using these? services during the pandemic