Telemedicine February 2022

TOPICS:

Posted By: Annmarie Budniak February 23, 2022

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:

UCI Health Partners with Biofourmis for Hospital at Home and Post-Acute Remote Patient Monitoring
Biofourmis (@biofourmis), a Boston-based global company in digital therapeutics and virtual care that powers personalized predictive care, announced a multi-year agreement with UCI Health to support continuous artificial intelligence (AI)-powered remote monitoring of acute and post-acute care patients in their homes through Biofourmis tools.

Neura Health Raises $2.2M to Improve Access and Quality of Care for Neurologic Conditions
New help is on the way for the more than 100 million Americans who suffer from a neurological disorder. Neura Health (@neurahealthco), which was built to close the massive access and quality gap in neurological care, announced it has closed a $2.2 million seed funding round.

Virtual care platform helps patients and caregivers manage complex cancer care
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute announces a strategic collaboration with Lifeguard Health Networks to pilot a program that provides patients and trusted caregivers an innovative, integrated digital care platform to help them manage cancer care at home. As the first cancer treatment provider partner for Lifeguard’s Virtual Care solution, LifeguardMobile™ (@LifeguardMobile), Karmanos plans to launch the pilot program this spring with its Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Team and will use the application to connect cancer patients, caregivers and Karmanos clinicians through its remote patient monitoring application.

HHS Awards Nearly $55 Million to Increase Virtual Health Care Access and Quality Through Community Health Centers
The Department of Health and Human Services (@hhsgov), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers to increase health care access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms. This funding builds on over $7.3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding invested in community health centers over the past year to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

SOC Telemed to be Acquired by Patient Square Capital
SOC Telemed, Inc. (@SOCTelemed), the largest national provider of acute care telemedicine, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Patient Square Capital, a dedicated health care investment firm.

Let’s Talk Interactive Hires Korey Keenan as Director of Sales
Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc. (@LetsTalkInter), a company in customizable telehealth solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of Korey Keenan as director of sales. Keenan has deep experience in the telehealth industry, having worked with some of the largest healthcare systems, payers, and IDNs in the United States.

Product News:

Amazon rolls out its telehealth service nationwide
Amazon (@AmazonCare) is rolling out its telehealth service, known as Amazon Care, nationwide, the company announced.

Biofourmis Expands into Virtual Specialty Care with the Launch of Biofourmis Care
Biofourmis (@biofourmis), a Boston-based global company in virtual care and digital therapeutics, announced the launch of Biofourmis Care, a first of its kind, technology-enabled care management service that delivers high-quality remote care for patients with chronic conditions.

ViTel Net Launches Industry First Virtual Care Portfolio Tailored For All
ViTel Net (@ViTelNet), the pioneer in telehealth innovation, has launched three new solutions designed to address a range of gaps in connected care for organizations of all sizes. Delivering robust virtual care functionality in both turnkey and enterprise packages that will support virtual care programs ranging in maturity and complexity.

Teladoc Health Launches “Chronic Care Complete” As First Unified Chronic Condition Management Experience
Teladoc Health, Inc. (@teladochealth), the global company in whole-person virtual care, announced the launch of Chronic Care Complete, a first-of-its-kind chronic condition management solution to help individuals improve their health outcomes while MIRAMAR, FL, January 27, 2022—Amid explosive demand for virtual primary care services, MDLIVE, an Evernorth company and one of the nation’s leading virtual care providers, announced the first patient health monitoring program to give patients and the providers that care for them better insights into their daily health. This digital-first program aims to improve health outcomes for the millions of Americans living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.

MDLIVE Launches Patient Health Monitoring to Drive Health Improvements for People Living with Chronic Conditions
Amid explosive demand for virtual primary care services, MDLIVE (@MDLIVEInc), an Evernorth company and a national virtual care providers, announced the first patient health monitoring program to give patients and the providers that care for them better insights into their daily health. This digital-first program aims to improve health outcomes for the millions of Americans living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.

GlobalMed introduces the Transportable Audiology Backpack to facilitate remote telehealth audiology examinations for expanded patient care
GlobalMed (@globalmed_usa), an international provider of virtual health solutions, is proud to introduce the market release of the Transportable Audiology Backpack. The new portable audiology exam solution combines GlobalMed’s telehealth devices and eNcounter® software experience combined with a patient-directed audiology evaluation platform. The lightweight design facilitates a completely remote audiology assessment including High Frequency diagnostic data, ear imagery, measurement and hearing test results.

Latest News from the FCC:

FCC Announces Final Group of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Awards
The Federal Communications Commission (@fcc) approved an additional 100 applications for funding commitments totaling $47.89 million for its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. This is the FCC’s sixth and final funding announcement of approved Round 2 applications. The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program supports the
efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To Read:

3 gripes physicians have with telemedicine: survey by Becker’s Hospital Review – Quality of care, patient expectations and physician burnout are among some of the frustrations physicians have with telemedicine, according to a survey conducted by DocASAP, a software company based in Herndon, Va.

To 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.

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:

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.

Upcoming Events

calendarblueup-200

ATA2022 Annual Conference & Expo (@AmericanTelemed)

What: ATA2022 Annual Conference & Expo
When: May 1-3, 2022
Where: In Person Boston, MA
Register Now.

ATA2022 will showcase a mix of practical applications of telehealth – from preventative and primary care to behavioral health and other areas of specialty care — and hands-on workshops, mixed with luminary vision of important next steps for telehealth’s future.