A team of researchers led by a committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics assessed pediatric telehealth programs across the U.S. in a recent study published in Pediatrics.
The researchers — led by Christina A. Olson, MD, a member of the AAP Section on Telehealth Care and the Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth Executive Committee — used and analyzed data from the research network SPROUT, and surveyed respondents from 52 programs across 30 states to provide insight into the current state of pediatric telehealth.
Here are four findings outlined in the study.
1. The most common telehealth specialty services were neurology, psychiatry, cardiology, neonatology and critical care.
2. The majority of programs used integrated video cameras to connect with remote patients. More than half used handheld cameras, specialty exam scopes and digital stethoscopes.
3. Respondents cited physician interest, licensing and reimbursement as top challenges to launching a telehealth program. The most common barrier to program expansion was reimbursement.
4. The telehealth programs evaluated received funding from various sources, including institutions, fee-for-service billing and contracts with other facilities.
To access the study, click here.