Telemedicine 2020

TOPICS:

Posted By: Annmarie Budniak April 22, 2020

We are combining our Telemedicine and Virtual Care reports into Telemedicine 2020. We are seeking out the latest developments around Telemedicine. How is telemedicine used to benefit patients and care givers? What are the newest innovations in telemedicine technology? How telehealth and virtual care fit into the realm of Telemedicine.

Listen:

Harlow on Healthcare: Gigi Sorenson, Telehealth to Help Manage the COVID19 Pandemic
Host David Harlow (@healthblawg) sits down with Gigi Sorenson, former Chief Clinical Officer of GlobalMed (@globalmed_usa), a telemedicine trailblazer talk about virtual care in rural US and developing countries, applications to help manage the COVID19 pandemic, and the post coronavirus telehealth landscape.

COVID-19 Webinars:

Kareo (@GoKareo)
Telehealth, Coding and Billing Guidance for COVID-19 – Kareo understands in these uncertain times, independent medical practices and their billing companies need to keep abreast of the updates that pertain to them during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help, Kareo has put together a Telehealth Billing and Coding Resource Guide, based on Kareo’s highly attended webinar that was held recently on the same topic

Product News:

CirrusMD Launches New Telemedicine Clinical Resources in Response to COVID-19
CirrusMD (@CirrusMD), a text-first virtual care platform, announced new clinical resources to expand access to virtual care, addressing the needs of partners and their members and alleviating pressure on the broader health care system. This includes the launch of a self-assessment triage tool to assist in analyzing a patient’s risk of COVID-19 and the ChatFirstMD program, a web-based virtual care and telemedicine platform for states, regions and community organizations that offers immediate access to doctors, updated medical guidance, and instant peace of mind.

Amwell Introduces New Telehealth Offering for Physician Practices
Amwell (@amwell), a national telehealth leader, introduced Amwell Private Practice, a new solution designed to help physician practices with under 100 providers deploy telehealth in a simple, secure and cost-effective way. With Amwell Private Practice, physicians can schedule virtual visits with existing patients and provide new patients a convenient, safe way to access primary, urgent, specialty and behavioral healthcare without leaving their home.

Industry News:

FCC Approves Second Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications
The Federal Communications Commission’s (@FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau approved an additional five funding applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Health care providers in some of the hardest hit areas like New York and Michigan will use this $3.71 million in funding to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. To date, the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program has funded 11 health care providers in 8 states for a total of $6.94 million in funding.

GlobalMed Offers Free Consultations to Healthcare Organizations Under Pressure to Implement Telehealth to Handle COVID-19 Surge
Implementing a virtual health program can seem daunting. To this end, GlobalMed is offering a free 30-minute consultative session for care providers, practices, and health systems interested in deploying telehealth. Healthcare professionals can receive the knowledge they need to successfully implement virtual health programs. Whether this means rapid deployment with simple video capabilities or virtual management of highly complex disease states on a modular, robust platform, GlobalMed stands ready to assist.

AMA Quick Guide to Telemedicine in Practice 
In an effort to keep health care workers and patients safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Medical Association (@AmerMedicalAssn) has designed resources to support physicians and practices in expediting the implementation of telemedicine, so care can continue to be provided to those who need it most.

TeleDaddy is Surescripts Certified
TeleDaddy (@TeleDaddyOnline), a direct-to-consumer telemedicine company taking care of everything from diagnosis by US-licensed physicians to the delivery of prescribed medication to our patients, is proud to announce that it is now Surescripts certified. Surescripts Certification enables telemedicine/telehealth providers with an E-Prescribing tool to prescribe medication to more than 65, 000 pharmacies across the United States.

Rapid Response from Bluestream: Free Telehealth Solution for Healthcare Professionals Dealing with COVID-19
Bluestream (@bluestream) is providing a free, HIPAA-compliant virtual care solution to help care providers work with patients that are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. No strings attached, no downloads, no account setup, no talking to a salesperson- no kidding.

MDLIVE Reports Visits and User Registrations Increase to All-Time Highs With Virtual Healthcare as First-Line Defense in Fight Against Pandemic
MDLIVE Inc.(@MDLIVEInc) reported that in addition to a surge in virtual visit volume, new individual user registrations through its health plan, health system and employer partners have increased to an all-time high of approximately 20,000 a day since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. in March. The rapid growth has been driven by government agencies’ recommendations that virtual care stand as the first line for medical and behavioral health care in light of COVID-19, as well as payors’ waiving of co-pays to encourage telehealth use during this pandemic.

To Read:

KNB Communications
The New Wave of TeleHealth Regulations – KNB Communications (@KNBComm) President & Managing Partner, Chintan Shah writes, The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting individuals, families, healthcare providers and businesses worldwide, with over 175 countries and territories reporting cases. Every country, including the U.S., is working to flatten the curve and receive adequate medical supplies. Numerous regulations have recently changed in an effort to lessen restrictions and reduce burdens. These changes have impacted health technology companies immediately during the COVID-19 crisis and provided opportunities for more adoption. The changes are coming fast and furious weekly. Here are some of the most compelling, impactful changes that patients, providers and health technology companies can benefit from:

Kareo Survey Reveals Coronavirus Pandemic Impact on Independent Medical Practices and Their Patients
In a new survey conducted by Kareo, independent medical practices and billing companies shared the unprecedented challenges created for them and their patents by the coronavirus pandemic.

Events:

ATA2020 Conference & Expo
May 3-5, 2020 Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix AZ
Hashtag: #ATA2020
Register for this event.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and restrictions for in-person events, ATA2020 is going 100% virtual. ATA2020 will come to you as a fully online event this summer. ATA believes this is the right decision for their community. Learn more about what that means to you as a participant.

ATA2020 is the world’s largest telehealth innovation and networking event. It’s where providers, technology developers, business professionals and leaders from across the healthcare sector come together to have an in-depth, thoughtful, critical discussion about the future of health.

The American Telemedicine Association Events
ATA is a non-profit association based in Washington DC with a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals. We are a leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Find their next event.

Defining the industry according to the AAFP

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. It occurs using a telecommunications infrastructure between a patient (at an originating or spoke site) and a physician or other practitioner licensed to practice medicine (at a distant or hub site).

Virtual Care is a patient service model for healthcare providers.

Telehealth refers to a broad collection of electronic and telecommunications technologies that support health care delivery and services from distant locations. Telehealth technologies support virtual medical, health, and education services.

Hashtags to follow for updates on Telemedicine: