The percentage of physicians using telehealth to see patients spiked from 22 percent in 2019 to 80 percent this year, according to Amwell's 2020 Physician and Consumer Survey.  

Levels of patient satisfaction for telehealth services are among the highest of all healthcare, insurance and financial service industries, according to consumer insight firm J.D. Power's second annual telehealth patient satisfaction survey.

Amwell and Tyto Care are expanding their partnership by adding new workflows and tools for the TytoHome remote examination device on Amwell's telehealth platform, they said this week.

Oct. 1 marks the day when Anthem and UnitedHealth Group rolled back some virtual visit coverage, leaving members to pay more out of pocket, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The Department of Justice announced charges against several individuals in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and other government payers for telemedicine services on Sept. 30 as part of a larger effort to crack down on healthcare fraud.

Telehealth adoption has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, signaling the need for providers to examine their malpractice risks associated with virtual care.

Hims, a direct-to-consumer telemedicine startup, is close to securing a deal to go public through a merger with Oaktree Acquisition Corp, according to a Sept. 25 Bloomberg report. 

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announced Sept. 28 that it will disperse $1.2 million in funds to 120 independent primary care practices across Connecticut to support telehealth expansion among other operational initiatives.

Physicians must alter their "bedside manner" from traditional in-person care to better accommodate patient needs during video-based telehealth visits, according to Neil Naik, MD.

New York City leads in telemedicine adoption among U.S. cities, according to Doximity's 2020 State of Telemedicine report. 

A physician in Arkansas has pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal healthcare investigation into telemedicine fraud and faces up to five years in prison, according to a Sept. 25 Department of Justice news release. 

The American Heart Association and American Cancer Society and 15 other patient organizations on Sept. 24 released a set of principles for legislators to consider for telehealth implementations.

NYC Health + Hospitals is rolling out a new virtual care program for non-life threatening health issues, according to a Sept. 22 news release.

Although telehealth adoption accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the nation's biggest for-profit insurers have been forging digital health partnerships and investments for years.

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and L.A. Care Health Plan are reopening their joint Community Resource Centers, offering free Wi-Fi to members needing to participate in telehealth services.

BestBuy Health on Sept. 24 launched a new flip phone equipped with Amazon Alexa voice assistance and telehealth capabilities that help connect older adults to healthcare services.

If telehealth is going to provide value to the healthcare system, it must address issues such as health equity and disparities in healthcare while delivering safe and high-quality care, according to Shantanu Agrawal, MD, and Tejal Gandhi, MD.

With patient visitation policies limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health System created a program that displays cards of support on patient televisions and on public digital displays throughout its hospitals.

NYU Langone Health had been preparing telehealth technologies and infrastructure for its diabetes patients prior to COVID-19 but switched primarily to video visits when the pandemic accelerated earlier this year.

Amazon is scaling up its virtual medical clinic for employees by rolling out services to facilities beyond the Seattle area, according to a Sept. 22 CNBC report.