A new plan released by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this month calls for improving rural health care services, especially by facilitating the expansion of telehealth in rural communities. Even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health care in rural areas has struggled with a number of longstanding challenges, including clinician shortages […]
The economic fallout of COVID-19 may accelerate acquisitions of independent practices unless practice leaders consider new, but not necessarily novel, ways of doing business. By Jacqueline LaPointe September 21, 2020 – COVID-19 seems like the final nail in the coffin for independent practices. Devastating financial losses from the start of the pandemic, stagnating patient volumes, and a new […]
The report, recently published in Medicina, was prepared by clinicians at NYU Langone Health and the NYU Long Island School of Medicine, both of which used telehealth to treat hundreds of thousands of patients this summer. By Eric Wicklund September 21, 2020 – Two New York health systems have published a blueprint for using telehealth to diagnose and treat […]
A bill introduced last week on Capitol Hill would prompt payers to cover any telehealth services if those services are also furnished in person. By Eric Wicklund September 21, 2020 – The latest bill introduced on Capitol Hill aims to level the playing field for payers by ensuring that all telehealth services be covered if those services are […]
Senior living providers are spending much more on technology during Covid-19, even if many of them are also not sure what they’ll do with it in the future. Those are among the findings of a new survey conducted by Senior Housing News in partnership with global health technology firm Philips. The survey — conducted online from July […]
Abstract During a pandemic when hospitals are stretched and patients need isolation, the role of hospital‐in‐the‐home (HITH) providing acute medical care at home has never been more relevant. We aimed to define and address the challenges to acute home care services posed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Planning for service operation involves staffing, equipment availability and […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concern among health care leaders about the preparedness of acute care systems to adapt to and manage large-scale environmental disruptions. Current physician compensation models do not align incentives with the dynamic and unique strategic priorities of health systems, especially in the face of unforeseen circumstances. Advancements in the health care […]
September 18, 2020 Skylar Jeremias A survey from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revealed that patients with rheumatic diseases are struggling to get access to health care treatment. A national survey of individuals with rheumatic diseases found that many face difficulties in obtaining access to care, with many forgoing physician care completely. The survey was conducted […]
A new Health Affairs blog urges the federal government to continue telehealth waivers for substance abuse treatment during the COVID-19 emergency and asks for permanent changes to safeguards around the use of buprenorphine. By Eric Wicklund September 18, 2020 – A group of clinicians and public health experts is pressing the federal government to make permanent telehealth policy […]
The patient portal hadn’t exactly yielded strong patient use. That was, until COVID-19 came. The pandemic has served as a key use case for the patient portal in care management. September 18, 2020 – When it comes to patient engagement technology, the patient portal is somewhat like an umbrella. You might not use it very often, but […]
Beyond the toll the novel coronavirus has taken on our friends and loved ones, COVID-19 has brought to light how our healthcare system has been challenged in the face of a pandemic and a surging influx of patients. Beyond the terrible toll the novel coronavirus has taken on our friends and loved ones, COVID-19 has […]
Almost $23 million in federal funding is going to several mHealth and telehealth projects aimed at improving detection, care management and monitoring of people infected with the coronavirus. By Eric Wicklund September 17, 2020 – The University of California at San Francisco and eight digital health companies are receiving almost $23 million in federal funding to develop telehealth […]
A special federal commission on nursing homes and COVID-19 on Wednesday released its formal report, focusing foremost on testing, personal protective equipment, and visitation as the nation’s long-term care facilities continue to grapple with the novel coronavirus. The Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes laid out 27 primary recommendations for the Centers for Medicare […]
Jackie Drees – Wednesday, September 16th, 2020 The American Telemedicine Association, National Committee for Quality Assurance and Alliance for Connected Care’s national telehealth policy taskforce released recommendations this month for permanent virtual care expansion. The Taskforce on Telehealth Policy, which comprises healthcare leaders from 20 organizations including Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, Humana and Amwell, compiled the recommendations after analyzing more than […]
As with any crisis, COVID-19 has exposed and widened existing cracks in the foundations of our nation’s healthcare infrastructure. This instability is particularly evident in senior care, given the extreme levying of pressure on health systems, providers and staff. With the weight of the pandemic miring classic models of care delivery, how can virtual care […]