Virginia Telehealth Network: 2023 Benchmarking Telehealth Usage in Virginia Survey As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the impact of telehealth on Virginia’s patients and providers, the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) conducts an annual “Benchmarking Telehealth Usage in Virginia” survey of actively practicing licensed providers across the Commonwealth. The survey found that 87 percent [...]
Epic Research: Fewer In-Person Follow-Ups Associated with Telehealth Visits Than Office Visits Epic Research released a study that compared how follow-up rates differ for in-person visits versus telehealth visits. The study found that telehealth patients across most medical specialties are less likely to attend follow-up appointments 90 days after a visit compared to in-person appointments. Mental health, physical [...]
Epic Research: ADHD Medications Prescribed at Similar Rates During Telehealth and In-Person Visits This study analyzed medication prescribing rates for telehealth and office visits, which found that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications were prescribed at similar rates during telehealth and in-person visits. Most initial ADHD prescriptions were for stimulant medications in both telehealth (84 [...]
This update includes: Introduction of CONNECT for Health Act House E&C Legislative Hearing MedPAC Report and notable research and news developments
Kaiser Family Foundation: Rise in Use of Mental Health Apps Raises New Policy Issues During the PHE, many federal and state health care requirements were waived in an attempt to expand access to digital behavioral health services such as mental health apps. This Issue Brief looks at how federal PHE waivers may have expanded [...]
Circulation: Telehealth: Lessons Learned From the Pandemic and Keys to Effective Research and Policy Design Telehealth and virtual care encompass a complex variety of services and technologies, spanning multiple specialties, disciplines, and populations. This complexity can help in establishing the guiding principles for the use of telehealth, after the resolution of the public health [...]
JCO Oncology Practice: Patient- and Provider-Level Factors Associated With Telehealth Utilization According to data published in JCO Oncology Practice, incorporation of telehealth visits during the pandemic did not result in redundant care as determined by per-physician patient volume. Results showed the telehealth utilization rate increased from less than 0.01 percent in 2019, prior to the start of [...]
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC): June 2023 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System MedPAC released its June 2023 report to Congress, which includes 10 chapters, including the mandated report to Congress on telehealth in Medicare. As mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, the Commission presents data on the use of [...]
JAMA Network: Expansion of Telehealth Availability for Mental Health Care After State-Level Policy Changes From 2019 to 2022 A JAMA Network Open study by researchers from Harvard and the Rand Corporation found that the number of sites offering telehealth for mental health went from 39.4 percent in the second quarter of 2019 to 88.1 percent [...]
Health Affairs: Telehealth And Network Adequacy: A Recipe To Advance Access? Telehealth’s ability to address mobility, transportation, and geographic barriers has begun to transform the way individuals pursue care. Insured individuals’ access to care has historically been governed by a single tool: network adequacy standards. Authors propose that telehealth can augment network adequacy’s ability [...]