American Heart Association: Health Disparities Among the Many Unique Challenges for People in Rural America According to data reported in the Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, people living in rural parts of the U.S. are 40% more likely to develop heart disease and [...]
JAMA Internal Medicine: Changes in Physician Electronic Health Record Use With the Expansion of Telemedicine Telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in the time physicians spent working in the EHR, though this work was largely related to documenting visits rather than messaging patients. Physicians who provided care both through telehealth and [...]
This update includes: Alliance Co-Leads 112 Organizations Requesting Telehealth Practitioners Privacy Are Protected NIH Study Found Telehealth Supported Retention in Treatment for OUD HHS Released Resource on Privacy and notable research and news developments
AIDS and Behavior: Mixed Methods Analysis of Telehealth Experience, Satisfaction, and Quality of Care During the COVID Pandemic Among Persons with HIV in Washington, DC High satisfaction was seen for telehealth services when used by patients with HIV (PWH). PWH were asked about their use of telehealth for care related to HIV, their housing status, residence, clinic [...]
Read the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' response to our comments here. The Alliance for Connected Care, in partnership with the American Telemedicine Association, led 112 organizations in a letter requesting that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take action on preserving the benefits of telehealth by ensuring telehealth practitioners [...]
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Telehealth Supports Retention in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Starting buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder through telehealth was associated with an increased likelihood of staying in treatment longer compared to starting treatment in a non-telehealth setting. A study analyzing Medicaid data from 2019-2020 in Kentucky and Ohio found that receiving buprenorphine [...]
Public Policy Institute of California: Telehealth Usage among Low-income and Undocumented Californians Statewide telehealth use jumped dramatically among low-income Californians covered by Medi-Cal in March 2020, when telehealth visits began to be reimbursed at the same rates as in-person visits. There was comparable trends in California’s community health centers (CHCs)—primary care clinics that serve all comers—for Medi-Cal and [...]
The Alliance for Connected Care led a letter urging House and Senate leaders to support the passage of the Telehealth Expansion Act of 2023 (H.R. 1843/S. 1001). This is legislation which the House Ways & Means Committee advanced on a bipartisan basis earlier this year. The Telehealth Expansion Act of 2023 is a bipartisan, [...]
This update includes: Alliance Sign-On Opportunity Alliance Submits Comments to House W&M Committee Rural RFI DEA Announces Second Temporary Extension of Telemedicine Flexibility for Prescription Controlled Medications House E&C Health Legislative Hearing on Telehealth Privacy Act and notable research and news developments
Kaiser Permanente: Telehealth Primary Care Outcomes Remained Steady Well Into 2021 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiser Permanente patients became much more likely to visit their primary care doctor by video or phone. A study found these patients had similar medical outcomes whether they saw their doctor in-person or virtually. These findings, on top of our previous [...]