Telehealth is evolving quickly and we know it can be challenging to keep up. Each month, we hope to capture all of the updates in policy, practice, technology, and research that we can squeeze into our newsletter. This past year proved to be one of the most exciting yet, so be sure to check out some of the popular headlines highlighted below!
We met many new colleagues in 2014 and we can't wait to see what 2015 holds. NETRC is working hard on more resources to share with you this year, including a redesigned, comprehensive resource library. We also hope to see you at some of this year's conferences, such as HIMSS15 (Apr. 12-16), ATA 2015 (May 3-5), APHA 2015 (Oct. 31 - Nov. 4), and our Regional Telehealth Conference (TBA)!
As always, please reach out to NETRC with any questions or to share your experiences as we all work to advance telehealth in the Northeast.
Sincerely,
The NETRC Team
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Telepsychiatry effective for ADHD treatment in rural areas
Clinical Psychiatry News, January 28, 2014
Telepsychiatry in rural areas is beneficial for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their parents, according to one of the largest randomized controlled trials of its kind.
FierceHealthIT, January 29, 2014
A recent study reviewed statutes and regulations in all 50 states that affect the adoption of telemedicine programs. Certain common ones were identified as linked to successful development of telestroke networks.
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State policy a big factor in whether hospitals offer telehealth services
FierceHealthIT, February 3, 2014
A survey of members of the American Hospital Association found that 42% of hospitals have telehealth capabilities, but state policies shape whether clinical services are offered.
New alliance aims to advance telehealth regulatory efforts
FierceHealthIT, February 12, 2014
Three former U.S. senators have formed the Alliance for Connected Care, which recently advocated for Medicare to cover telemedicine services regardless of geography and for all health insurers to reimburse for telehealth care delivery under new models of care.
The Rural Monitor, February 12, 2014
Among profiles of model programs is a feature on the use of mobile telepresence robots by a Critical Access Hospital in Washington to implement in-patient rounds for post-stroke patients by a distant specialist.
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iHealthBeat, March 21, 2014
The Federation of State Medical Boards will soon vote on a new telemedicine policy which would codify that medical care takes place where a patient is receiving the telehealth service rather than where the remote provider is located.
Expanding telemedicine beyond state borders
USA Today, March 7, 2014
The article highlights progress among the states in Medicaid and private insurance coverage of telehealth services and revived initiatives to reduce licensing barriers to provision of services across state lines.
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How telemedicine helps some elderly people stay home longer
Bangor Daily News, April 15, 2014
Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice in Maine has increased its capacity for home telehealth monitoring tenfold in the last three years. The success of their program aligns with a recommendation of the Governor's Broadband Capacity Building Task Force to help Maine's elderly stay at home through use of telehealth and thereby reduce health care costs.
Federation of State Medical Boards Passes Model Telemedicine Policy
Health Laws and Policy Matters, April 30, 2014
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) adopted the "Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine". The Model Policy addresses many of the concerns of state medical boards in addressing telemedicine practice, including establishing a physician-patient relationship, appropriate online medical care, HIPAA compliance and patient privacy, and prescribing drugs based on a telemedicine encounter. Some groups like the ATA objected to some provisions.
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Federal Telemedicine News, May.4, 2014
The Regional Economic Development Council for eight counties of New York's south central region requests telehealth project proposals for its fund of over two million dollars dedicated for this purpose.
Government Technology, May 21, 2014
Preliminary results from implementing a cloud-based telemedicine program for its prisons last year suggest significant cost savings to the State of Maryland for IT support and prisoner transportation.
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AMA telemedicine policy emphasizes in-state licensure, in-person visits
FierceHealthIT, June 12, 2014
Patient safety and care quality is a primary focus of a telemedicine policy adopted by the American Medical Association this week. It errs on the side of caution in its recommendations, calling for in-person consults in some cases, for example.
VA reduces admissions by 35% due to telemedicine services
EHR Intelligence, June 23, 2014
A new study published by Adam Darkins, Chief Consultant for Telehealth Services at the Veterans Administration, highlights the growth in use of telehealth by the VA and a number of favorable outcomes. In 2013, utilization grew to 1.8 million episodes of care with over 608,000 patients, and, among home health patients, telehealth services have contributed to a 35% reduction in hospital admissions and a 59% reduction in bed days of care.
Docs: Wearable devices a possible game changer in medical care
FierceHealthIT, June 24, 2014
Researchers are conducting more and more studies on the potential of wearables to keep patients healthy and to help them recover from illness faster, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.
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CMS proposes expanded telehealth coverage for 2015
FierceHealthIT, July 3, 2014
Annual wellness visits and psychotherapy are among four services the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing to add to the list of services that can be provided to Medicare beneficiaries via telehealth, according to a proposed update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the 2015 calendar year issued late Thursday.
Care coordination pilot looks to prevent hospital readmissions
FierceEMR, July 23, 2014
The University of Buffalo School of Nursing is working to limit patient readmissions to hospitals and ERs via use of health IT and dashboard technology. Under a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, their project will connect primary care offices with patients and families to ensure patients receive follow-up care after being released from the hospital.
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Legislation Introduced on Capitol Hill
Federal Telemedicine News, August 6,2014
Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Gregg Harper (R-MS) last week introduced bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth services under Medicare. The bill, titled the "Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2014" puts telehealth services under Medicare on the path toward parity with in-person healthcare visits.
Telemedicine could save US employers $6 billion annually
FierceHealthIT, August 12, 2014
The professional services company, Towers Watson, has reported on an analysis suggesting that widespread use of telemedicine in employee health plans could generate big savings in health care costs. Surveys suggest that 37% of companies expect to offer employees telemedicine consultations for nonemergency visits by 2015 while 22% currently offer such programs.
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Stakeholders concerned licensure compact fails to boost telemedicine access FierceHealthIT, September 8, 2014 This story covers the critical responses of advocates from various stakeholder groups on the finalized model interstate licensure compact recently released by the Federation of State Medical Boards. ATA reports grade state telemedicine policies FierceHealthIT, September 9, 2014 A pair of policy reports from the American Telemedicine Association compare policies for telehealth reimbursement and practice standards in each state. They provide state report cards with the intention of spurring policy makers to take action to harness telemedicine benefits to enhance quality and access to care.
Telemedicine beneficial in management of chronic diseases, lowering costs
FierceHealthIT, September 11, 2014 This review published in Telemedicine and e-Health looks at the impact telemedicine has on cost, quality, and access to care, focusing three chronic diseases: congestive heart failure, stroke, and obstructive pulmonary disease. Facilities receive grants to grow resources for telehealth FierceHeallthIT, September 29, 2014 More than 100 organizations in 42 states recently received notice of grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support care in rural areas. Included in the funding wave are awards to six sites to development telemedicine networks for emergency medicine, Telehealth Resource Center awards for NETRC in Maine and its Mid-Atlantic counterpart, and awards for Rural Health Network Development projects, some of which include telehealth strategies.
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Lawmakers Urged To Expand Medicare Coverage of Telehealth
iHealthBeat, October 1, 2014
A coalition of 13 health care advocacy groups has sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee calling on lawmakers to increase Medicare coverage for telehealth services under the panel's "21st Century Cures" initiative. For support, they request a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the costs and benefits of such expanded coverage.
How Teleconferencing Could Help Urban Schools Solve a Mental Health Crisis
The Atlantic CityLab, October 2, 2014
The article cites data on the unmet need of school systems for mental health services and the potential of telemedicine surmount local provider shortages and geographic access barriers. Successful school-based programs are highlighted in Baltimore, Rochester, and rural Kansas.
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Featured 2014 Event:
NETRC Regional Conference: Leveraging Telehealth to Achieve the Triple Aim
We were thrilled to host nearly 100 health care leaders and telehealth experts from the Northeast in Burlington, VT with the University of Vermont Medical Center on October 1, 2014! Attendees included representatives from Federally Qualified Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Centers,
Community Mental Health Centers, and others.
We hope to see you at our 2015 conference to be announced!
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Update on CMS Payment Decisions - Two Steps Forward, One Back
American Telemedicine Assocation, November 7, 2014
Starting in January 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will reimburse seven new covered services for telehealth, including annual wellness visits, psychotherapy services, and prolonged services in the office. Also in the announcement, CMS added a new CPT billing code for chronic care patient management, which ATA queries to CMS reveal do not open the door for extra payment for remote patient monitoring services as ATA has recommended.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Approves New Telemental Health CPT Codes
TeleMental Health Institute, November 13, 2014
A clear summary is provided of all services and billing codes for telemental health services reimbursed by Medicare, including new codes for psychoanalysis, family psychotherapy, and prolonged evaluations. New codes for services that not technically telehealth include chronic care patient management and psychological testing by computer.
DLT Awards Grants for $20.4 Million
Federal Telemedicine News, November 23, 2014
On National Rural Health Day, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA's Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program has just awarded $20.4 million in FY 2014 grants Telemedicine grantees in the northeast include Home-Health Visiting Nurses of Southern Maine and in New York the Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, New York State Office of Mental Health, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.
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CMS Answers American Telemedicine Association's Call for Telehealth by ACOs
American Telemedicine Association, December 03, 2014
The American Telemedicine Association reported on responses to their queries from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on rules for telehealth use by Accountable Care Organizations. Provisional CMS rules open for public comment allow telehealth use for patients at non-rural facilities and locations beyond those required for fee-for-service Medicare covered services.
Does Telemedicine Work in 'Hands-On' Specialties?
Medscape News, December 3, 2014 (requires free registration)
An interview with professor Daniel Albert, MD, of the Geisel Medical School highlights the challenges and successes of delivery of telerheumatology services from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, with patients at distance rural facilities.
Study: Telehealth can save $100 or more per visit
FierceHealthIT, December 15, 2014
As telehealth services grow throughout the country, they provide both improved care and ways to cut costs.The average estimated cost of a telehealth visit saves about $100 or more compared to the estimated cost for in-person care, according to a study by Dale H. Yamamoto of Red Quill Consulting, Inc.
American Telemedicine Association to roll out provider accreditation program
MedCity News, December 15, 2014
The American Telemedicine Association will soon roll out its online accreditation program for direct to consumer healthcare consultations..More details will become available next week, the association said in a brief memo on its website. The program, approved by the board recently, will accredit U.S. healthcare providers who provide "real-time, online consultations directly to the patient," and that also meet standards that "ensure safety, security and quality" of the service.
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About NETRC
The NorthEast Telehealth Resource Center (one of 14 National Telehealth Resource Centers) aims to increase access to quality health care services for rural and medically underserved populations through Telehealth. Our service area includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, northern New Jersey, New York, and Vermont, but we are happy to help no matter where you are located.
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The NorthEast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number G22RH22699 (Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth in the amount of $325,000). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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