Telehealth apps that aim to help treat the nation's addiction and opioid epidemic are increasing in popularity, drawing in investor dollars, but critics wonder whether the treatments are equitable, reported Kaiser Health News March 21. 

A March 15 HHS Office of the Inspector General report concluded telehealth was critical for providing services to Medicare beneficiaries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Fifty-five percent of healthcare providers are frustrated with managing patient expectations for telehealth visits, according to research released March 15 by UnitedHealth Group.

National utilization trends suggest telehealth has not expanded access to healthcare, as only a small number of people make up the majority of users, FastCompany reported March 18.

The VA wants to make telephone mental healthcare appointments permanent to better serve veterans reluctant to receive in-person care, Military.com reported March 17. 

Health centers serving underserved populations through telemedicine should ensure they are collecting disaggregated data, building essential care teams and working with non-English speakers to create their programs, according to a recent report.

The Federal Communications Commission on March 16 selected the fourth and final set of  projects for its Connected Care Pilot Program, awarding nearly $30 million to 16 providers.

Telehealth continued to account for over one-third of mental health and substance use outpatient care visits more than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 15 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Fifty-one percent of clinicians said telehealth negatively affects their ability to demonstrate empathy with patients, according to a report released March 15 by analytics firm Elsevier Health.

Verizon is expanding the BlueJeans Telehealth platform it launched in 2021.