Telehealth

Telehealth has been a key tool for providers and patients to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its effectiveness can vary by the way patients use it.

Clinicians and healthcare organizations should evaluate and address patient concerns that may have arisen during the industry's rapid shift to telehealth during the pandemic, nine researchers wrote in a perspectives article published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

The FCC is seeking advice on how to distribute the second round of its COVID-19 telehealth program, which recently received an additional $249.95 million in funds. 

While telehealth has appeared to cement its place in healthcare delivery, about one-fourth of provider, payer and employer organizations are not happy with their current platforms, according to KLAS Research.

Telehealth use skyrocketed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving healthcare organizations to forge new vendor partnerships and rapidly expand virtual care offerings.

Nationwide, telehealth claim lines skyrocketed 3,060 percent from October 2019 to October 2020, according to private healthcare claims data released Jan. 6 by the healthcare research organization Fair Health.

Rennova Health recently completed an agreement with InnovaQor, a subsidiary of TPT Global Tech, to merge Rennova's software and genetic testing divisions and form a company  providing telehealth. 

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health in Lebanon, N.H., will provide telemedicine services and geriatric emergency department training, education and other resources to four rural hospitals in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a comprehensive bill Jan. 1 that requires insurers to  permanently cover telehealth  after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. 

UPMC unveiled a new telehealth model Jan. 4 that lets patients schedule appointments with the Pittsburgh-based health system's virtual primary care service for chronic and acute care conditions, according to ABC affiliate WHTM.