We are combining our Telemedicine and Virtual Care reports into Telemedicine News and Updates. 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.
Industry News:
Qure4u Collaborates with AWS to Quickly Scale Digital Health Solutions
Qure4u (@Qure4u), a patient engagement and virtual care company, announces substantial growth in digital health utilization among healthcare provider customers through its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s leading cloud.
USDA Invests $42 Million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine Infrastructure to Improve Education and Health Outcomes
The United States Department of Agriculture (@usda) announced it is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities (PDF, 255 KB). Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance. The $42.3 million in awards includes $24 million provided through the CARES Act. In total, these investments will benefit 5 million rural residents.
The ATA Agrees With The HHS Office Of Inspector General (OIG) Statement Recognizing Telehealth As ‘A Matter of Safety’
The American Telemedicine Association (@AmericanTelemed) applauds a new statement issued today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recognizing that, “Where telehealth and other remote access technologies were once a matter of convenience, the public health emergency made them a matter of safety for many beneficiaries.”
98point6 to Provide Text-Based Virtual Care for Quest Diagnostics Employer Health Screenings
98point6 (@98point6Inc), the on-demand digital primary care service that delivers personalized diagnosis, treatment and consultation to patients across the country, announced a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics, provider of diagnostic information services, to deliver text-based virtual primary care to patients following employer-sponsored biometric and laboratory health screenings from Quest Diagnostics.
Let’s Talk Interactive and Voice Products Inc. Partner to Offer Voice-Commanded HIPAA-Compliant Telehealth and Video Conferencing Solution
Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc. (@LetsTalkInter), a provider of customizable telehealth solutions, announces a partnership with Voice Products Inc., a voice, transcription and speech solution provider focused on healthcare, public safety and call center recording. The partnership combines LTI’s HIPAA-compliant online software and hardware with Voice Products’ speech recognition technology, enabling providers to operate virtual office and telehealth sessions with voice commands, eliminating the need to use a mouse and keyboard.
Amazon’s telehealth arm quietly expands to 21 more states
The Seattle Times reports that an Amazon telehealth outfit that started as a pilot service for Seattle-area employees and their families has quietly filed paperwork to operate in 21 more states, a signal of Amazon’s expanding ambitions for the $3.8 trillion medical sector. The service, Amazon Care, launched a year ago as an app providing on-demand chat and video consultations with medical professionals for Amazon’s then-54,000 Puget Sound employees.
American Board of Telehealth Partners with American Telemedicine Association to Expand Telehealth Education
The American Board of Telehealth (ABT) and the American Telemedicine Association (@AmericanTelemed) are partnering to expand access to telehealth education and training. The American Board of Telehealth offers high-quality, evidence-based education in the practice of telehealth to ensure best practices for implementing and using telemedicine across the care continuum.
As Demand for Virtual Health Care Surges, Evernorth Announces Acquisition of Long-Term Partner, MDLIVE
Evernorth, the leading health services portfolio of Cigna, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MDLIVE (@MDLIVEInc), a privately held, leading 24/7 virtual care delivery platform. Upon completion, this transaction will provide Evernorth with a highly complementary platform that will rapidly expand Evernorth’s capabilities to deliver a more affordable, convenient and connected patient care experience.
COVID News:
Ro Works with New York State’s Department of Health to Launch First- of-its-Kind In-Home COVID-19 Vacination Program
Ro (@ro), the healthcare technology company, announced it is working with New York State’s Department of Health to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible New Yorkers directly in their homes. The program aims to help vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled and homebound, that face logistical challenges accessing vaccination sites.
Governor announces $3M in telehealth funding
In Kansas news, WIBW reports that three million dollars in federal coronavirus relief funds have been allocated to community clinics for telehealth devices. Governor Laura Kelly made the announcement during a visit to the Konza Prairie Community Health Center in Junction City. She said the funds will increase access to telehealth statewide.
Product News:
BioIQ Launches New Telehealth Solution for Diagnostic Testing and Population Health
BioIQ (@BioIQ), an analytics-driven population health and testing platform company for top employers and health plans, announces the launch of an integrated telehealth offering procured through the acquisition of BlipIQ, a company using behavioral science and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver SaaS-based telehealth to healthcare providers. Integration of the telehealth solution into the BioIQ digital health testing platform further enhances the convenience, accessibility, and value of the BioIQ consumer health testing experience.
DrChrono EHR Offers an All-in-One Telehealth App Experience on iOS and iPadOS; Physicians Can View a Patient Medical Record and Multitask During a Video Visit
DrChrono Inc. (@drchrono), the company developing the essential platform and services for modern medical practices, announced that its EHR platform offers an all-in-one telehealth app experience on iOS and iPadOS. Physicians can now view the patient’s medical record and multitask, such as e-prescribing and order labs, during video visits directly on their iPad or iPhone. In addition, DrChrono launched for the first time Telehealth free(ium) for life to its network of physicians.
HealthTap Introduces Virtual Primary Care that Prioritizes Uninsured and Underinsured Populations in the U.S.
HealthTap (@HealthTap), a virtual healthcare provider, announced plans to offer virtual Primary Care services across the U.S. The service is currently available in seven states and will roll out to the rest of the country over the next several weeks.
Telehealth Meets Predictive Data Science: Timed Health Introduces a Powerful Patented Platform to Forecast Healthcare and Medications Multiplying Physician and Patient Efficiency and Erasing Costly Delays to Improve Health and Economic Outcomes
Bringing together telehealth with telemedications and advanced predictive data science to forecast, accelerate and implement new healthcare and medications to decelerate changes in health, Timed Health, is introducing an innovative fully patented mass-market technology and new medications platform solution to improve the efficiency and sufficiency of modern healthcare.
SOC Telemed Achieves Full URAC Accreditation
SOC Telemed, Inc. (@SOCTelemed), a national provider of acute care telemedicine, announced its full URAC Accreditation in Telemedicine. URAC is the Washington DC-based nonprofit leader in promoting quality of healthcare and accreditation of organizations involved in medical care services.
Making the Cut:
AMD Telemed Applauded by Frost & Sullivan for Its Modular Engage N’ Solution that Supports Patient Needs by Acuity Level
Based on its recent analysis of the North American virtual care market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes AMD Global Telemedicine with the 2021 North American Product Leadership Award for its unified virtual care framework, Engage N’. The modular solution allows healthcare providers to leverage what they need while allowing them to scale at their pace, without ripping and replacing the existing setup.
To Read:
Top 10 Takeaways From The Transition To Telemedicine from Forbes – While virtual provider services are nothing new, the fallout from Covid-19 pushed telemedicine front and center. Whereas pre-Covid-19 virtual health care was a luxury, intra-Covid-19 virtual health care is shaping out to be a necessity — and as with any new practice, there is a learning curve. Let’s take a look at the top 10 lessons learned from using telemedicine technology in 2020.
5 Qualities of Perfect Telemedicine Applications from The Science Times – Amid the Coronavirus pandemic crisis, more than 50% of the hospitals have been accommodating isolation centers. Thus, today people fear going to the hospital even more. Under such circumstances, telemedicine apps have proved to be a benefit.
Telehealth Has Been Good in the Pandemic. It Could Be Great Long Term. from Slate – To the surprise of many, this transition to wide-scale adaptation of telehealth and videoconferencing visits has worked well. Health care organizations have been able to provide safe and arguably more efficient and cost-effective care to patients in their homes. This has also meant more work-from-home opportunities that benefit many health care workers, such as parents with young children. Furthermore, providers get to see inside a patient’s home, which may inform a better understanding of a patient’s life.
Listen:
HealthcareNOW Radio Telehealth Playlist
The Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines telehealth as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.” To learn more and find out about the latest in telehealth tune in to the episodes on this playlist. Additionally, be sure to read HCNR’s Friday Five which recaps the site’s month long concentration on telehealth.
Telehealth.HHS.gov
During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, we don’t have to choose between medical care and social distancing. When patients can get health care through telehealth — and doctors can provide it — we protect ourselves and our communities. The Telehealth.HHS.gov website provides information about the latest federal efforts to support and promote telehealth services.
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: