TELEHEALTH BEAT
HTRC's monthly telehealth bullein
A rural Kansas hospital expands services through telehealth
In the past nine years, 83 rural hospitals in the United States have closed their doors. With rural hospitals under increasing stress, you might think that Ellsworth County Medical Center (ECMC), in a town of 3,120 would be on shakey ground. But in fact, ECMC has used telehealth as a springboard to expand their services. Through a partnership with the Hutchinson Clinic they now offer 36 specialties via telehealth!

ECMC started its telehealth program in 2014. The first step was to assess the specialist needs in their community and decide on a schedule and budget. A new telehealth program also involves organization and engaging many different people at the clinic including medical staff, the executive team, patient schedulers and IT. The new program also required new technology at the clinic such as a digital scope with attachments and a stethoscope that is compatible with the system in use. 

Since 2014, the program has only grown and currently has a 100% quality rating from patients. Doctors like the program because it offers a way to fit more patients into their schedule more efficiently and with less cost. 

“Doctors did not have trouble adapting. They liked [telehealth] because it helps patients and increases engagement with patients and increases revenue at a lower cost. No more traveling to outreach clinics.” said Terri Wagoner, telemedicine coordinator at Ellsworth County Medical Center.

Distant sites have been a good option for Ellsworth and it’s a good option for many rural hospitals to connect patients with the specialist care that they need. Wagoner related the story of one family from the area had a son who needed to see a pediatric psychologist for ADHD and anxiety. But the closest psychologist was 211 miles away at the KU Medical Center. Getting to appointments would take seven hours of driving every week for a thirty minute appointment. But with telemedicine at ECMC, they could get their son the treatment he needs close to home. 

“Having these services has saved my family an enormous amount of time and money. My wife and I were able to get him his telemedicine appointments without having to take time off or sacrifice time with our other children,” said the father. 

HTRC recently hosted a webinar to highlight the success of the ECMC program. For more information about starting a telehealth program in your hospital, call HTRC at 877-643-HTRC or check out the webinar:

EVENTS
The iAmHealthy Approach to Rural Pediatric Obesity
HTRC Webinar
July 2, 2019
12-1 p.m.

This month you'll hear about the iAmHealthy approach to rural pediatric obesity. iAmHealthy utilizes mobile tools to deliver weight loss programs to kids and families in rural settings between second and fourth grade. Learn how to use telehealth and the iAmHealthy approach to combat rural pediatric obesity.

Presenters : Megan Murray, RD, and Eve-Lynn Nelson, Ph.D.

Upcoming webinars:
August 6- Telehealth Technology Showcase

National TRC Webinar: An Overview of Cybersecurity
July 18, 2019
11 a.m.-12 p.m. CDT

Cybersecurity is a major concern for health care and telehealth programs. This webinar will discuss the importance of cybersecurity in health care and present resources available to individuals and organizations to implement best practices and manage common threats. The presentation is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework and the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices report. You'll come away with tools to research, discuss and communicate important cybersecurity ideas.

Host : National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center
Presenter : Jordan Berg
 
Telehealth Alliance of Oklahoma Telehealth Summit
August 26-28, 2019
Norman, Okla.

Save the date for the Telehealth Alliance of Oklahoma (TAO) Telehealth Summit August 26-28 at the Norman Regional Hospital Eduction Center in Norman, Okla. The Summit will open with a reception Monday evening, followed by a day and a half filled with a keynote presentation, plenaries, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Exhibits from telehealth vendors will be set up in the Education Center Atrium.

HRSA Telehealth Learning Series: The Use of Telehealth to Improve Children's Access to Health Care
July 10, 2019
3-4 p.m.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) invites you to a free webinar: Use of Telehealth to Improve Children’s Access to Health Care. The presentation will include:
  • Current telehealth models and initiatives to improve access to pediatric specialty care in Iowa;
  • A discussion about leveraging partnerships and funding to implement telehealth programs;
  • A review of telehealth visits and patient satisfaction data;
  • How to establish a school-based telehealth clinic in your community; and
  • Best practices and lessons learned from the Indiana Rural Schools Clinic Network.
National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
Using Telehealth to Treat Substance Use Disorder
July 28, 2019
3p.m.

Anyone may attend this online session for community health centers (CHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), hosted by the HRSA/FORHP-supported  Telehealth Resource Centers . Experts will discuss the types of substance use disorder (SUD) services that can be provided via telehealth, how they can be integrated into primary care, and the potential issues that may be encountered. Though recent reports have found that  telehealth adoption is slower in rural areas , more federal programs and funding have been implementing telehealth to bring SUD treatment to remote areas.

NEWS
New study shows increase in telehealth use
A new study finds that telehealth jumped 53% from 2016 to 2017 . The study from Fair Health , an independent non-profit that maintains the largest database of privately billed health insurance claims, aggregates the data from 28 billion commercial insurance claims found that the rise outpaces all other forms of patient care. The next highest increase was ambulatory surgery centers that rose by only 14%. Private insurance claims for telehealth have also risen, more than 1200% since 2012. Recent changes in state laws have made telehealth more accessible in many states, fueling telehealth expansion.