How is virtual healthcare used to benefit patients and care givers? What are the newest innovations in virtual care technology? How do telehealth and telemedicine fit into the realm of virtual healthcare? We have our finger on the pulse and are striving to report the latest developments around virtual healthcare.
Industry News
ATA Launches Two New Special Interest Groups to Advance Virtual Pediatric Care and Generate Research and Best Practices in Telehealth
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) announced the formation of two Special Interest Groups (SIGs), as part of its mission to develop and provide authoritative expertise, information and resources to ATA members and the broader ATA community.
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Partners with TruDoc Healthcare to Transform Patient Experience through Innovative ‘Hospital at Home’ Services
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) has entered into a partnership with TruDoc Healthcare to enhance patient care through the expansion of the Care Anywhere program. Combining TruDoc’s expertise in Hospital at Home and Telehealth services with JHAH’s unwavering commitment to medical excellence, the collaboration signifies a major milestone in the Kingdom to bring patient-centric healthcare for all.
Gut Microbiome Health Tech Innovator, Ixcela Launches Virtual Clinic to Ease Cancer Symptoms After Landmark Roper St. Francis Healthcare Pilot
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Ixcela, The Internal Fitness™ Company, in collaboration with Roper St. Francis Healthcare, announced the Ixcela Cancer Support Program. Working with oncologists and clinicians, the Ixcela clinic is designed to offer a personalized approach to improving cancer patient care by focusing on gut health, nutritional therapy, and lifestyle adjustments.
Scriptology Acquires RxLive to Enhance Medication Management Solutions and Expand Telehealth Capabilities
Scriptology, a provider of tech-enabled comprehensive medication management, announced it has acquired RxLive, a telehealth clinical pharmacy services company. This strategic acquisition will enhance Scriptology’s technology portfolio and extend its market reach, augmenting its capabilities to offer personalized medication management at scale to deliver superior healthcare solutions.
Verbal launches AI-powered QA, training, and documentation tools for Zoom virtual care visits
Launch brings Verbal’s AI tools to the nation’s most popular telehealth platform. Verbal, a voice in AI-enhanced virtual care operations, announced the launch of Verbal’s AI tool suite in the Zoom app marketplace.
AvaSure Honors 2024 AvaPrize Winners for Virtual Care Excellence
AvaSure, a provider of acute virtual care, announced recipients of its virtual care awards program, the 2024 AvaPrize awards. Now in its 8th year, AvaPrize awards recognize excellence in virtual care within healthcare organizations in the U.S.
Wolters Kluwer celebrates a decade of bringing virtual nursing education and innovation to students
Wolters Kluwer Health announced that vSim® for Nursing, a leader in virtual simulation for nursing education, celebrates its tenth anniversary of transforming the nursing education landscape. More than a decade ago, leaders from Wolters Kluwer, Laerdal Medical and the National League for Nursing came together, as they recognized they could help transform nursing education by empowering educators to deliver clinically based experiences to nursing students. This approach addressed the lack of clinical sites, one of the biggest barriers to increasing the number of new nurses in the workforce. Over two million students have progressed on their nursing journeys with vSim for Nursing.
Remote Patient Monitoring
BioIntelliSense Announces FDA Clearance of the BioButton® Multi-Patient Wearable and BioDashboard™ System for Continuous Patient Monitoring
BioIntelliSense, a continuous health monitoring and clinical intelligence company, announces FDA clearance of the rechargeable BioButton® Multi-Patient wearable and BioDashboard™ system to cost-effectively grow and scale hospital virtual care programs. The BioButton Multi-Patient medical device expands the BioIntelliSense award-winning portfolio of continuous patient monitoring solutions by offering a rechargeable and reusable inpatient solution for automating vital sign collection across medical surgical units, specialty care areas, emergency departments and in delivering hospital level care at home.
UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Announces Results of Remote Monitoring Program for Congestive Heart Failure Using Brook Health’s Remote Care Platform
UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, the health and wellness provider for communities throughout south central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut, and Brook Health, which integrates remote clinical teams with artificial intelligence to extend care into the home, announced the results of a remote monitoring program for congestive heart failure (CHF) that resulted in a 50 percent reduction in all-cause 30-day readmissions for patients.
Product News
Iris Telehealth Launches Virtual Clinic and Iris Insights
Iris Telehealth, a provider of transformative behavioral health services for health systems and community healthcare organizations, announced the launch of its Virtual Clinic and Iris Insights platforms.
Panda Health Launches Exclusive Member Community for Digital Health Leaders
Panda Health, a community and market intelligence platform that connects hospitals and health systems with digital health solutions, announces the launch of the Panda Health Member Community, an exclusive virtual hub where IT and digital health leaders can exchange knowledge and insights to propel digital health advancement.
Cigna Healthcare Makes Virtual Care Even Easier and More Convenient with New E-Treatment Option from MDLIVE
Cigna Healthcare, the health benefits division of The Cigna Group, launched an “E-Treatment” option through MDLIVE by Evernorth. Beginning this month, customers have quick, flexible access to urgent care from board-certified doctors, without any direct interaction via phone or video.
Midi Health Launches Dedicated Survivorship Program – Expert Specialty Care for Women with History or Family History of Breast Cancer
Midi Health, the fastest-growing virtual care clinic for women 35+, announced the launch of an industry-first program aimed at providing cutting-edge, expert menopause care for breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for breast cancer.
GetSetUp Launches Video-Based Medicare Hub to Simplify 2025 Annual Enrollment Period for Older Adults
GetSetUp, a virtual activity platform for older adults, is launching its GetSetUp Medicare Hub, a first-of-its-kind video-based resource designed to simplify the 2025 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for older Americans. Offering live expert-led sessions, on-demand Medicare videos, and peer-led learning, this hub equips seniors with the knowledge and confidence to make informed healthcare decisions.
Policy News
AHA urges DEA and HHS to extend waivers of in-person requirements prior to virtual prescribing of controlled substances
The AHA urged the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Health and Human Services to extend telehealth flexibilities an additional two years, which would waive the in-person visit requirement prior to the prescribing of controlled substances virtually.
To Read
Virtual Care Trends Across Dozens of Health Plans by Teladoc – How health plans are using virtual solutions to meet member demand for accessible whole-person care, increase engagement, drive better clinical outcomes and deliver cost savings.
Telehealth Continues to Score Points for Convenience and Speed, but Overall Experience Varies Widely Between Providers and Across Demographics, J.D. Power Finds – Heralded for its potential to break down socioeconomic and geographic barriers to care and celebrated as a lifeline during the pandemic, telehealth has become one of the most closely watched corners of healthcare delivery in the United States.
Telehealth key to accelerating equitable access to health in the Americas by PAHO – High level representatives from ministries of health of the Americas, experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and partner organizations met this week to share their experiences implementing telehealth in a bid to accelerate equitable access to health care, particularly for vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.
To Listen
Our 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
Insights Summit: Health Anywhere (@AmericanTelemed)
What: Insights Summit: Health Anywhere
When: November 13-14, 2024
Where: Loews, Arlington, TX
Register here.
Join ATA to explore the future of healthcare at the ATA Insights Summit “Health Anywhere: Redefining Remote Care and Integrated Digital Health across the Continuum.” This groundbreaking program delves into the seamless integration of digital care to enable patient health evaluation, monitoring, and care delivery outside the health system’s walls.
Insights Summit: Virtual Nursing (@AmericanTelemed)
What: Insights Summit: Virtual Nursing
When: November 17-19, 2024
Where: Loews, Arlington, TX
Register here.
Debuted last year with remarkable success, the ATA’s Insights Summit on Virtual Nursing is your premier opportunity to share challenges, solutions, and lessons learned with leaders from top healthcare organizations.
In its second phase, the 2024 Insights Summit will explore comprehensive virtual nursing integration. Learn to move beyond quick fixes, drive innovation and change, and identify measurable success in your virtual nursing program.
ATA EDGE2024 (@AmericanTelemed)
What: ATA EDGE2024
When: December 11-13, 2024
Where: Washington, DC
Save the date. Become a Sponsor.
Join ATA and ATA Action at the ATA EDGE2024 Policy Conference, the go-to event for cutting-edge insights into state, federal, and international telehealth policies. This year, we’re diving deep into the current state of virtual care policy and exploring what’s next. We’ll tackle the biggest challenges and uncover new opportunities, all while keeping telehealth’s momentum strong and bipartisan support high.
Be sure to check out the complete list of upcoming events from the American Telemedicine Association.