05/09/2013
Several comparative effectiveness projects using health IT will receive grant funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. One such initiative seeks to use telehealth to boost behavioral and mental health services for children. Modern Healthcare.
05/01/2013
A new Arizona law prohibits health insurers from denying coverage for medical services provided via telehealth technology if the services would be covered during an in-person consultation. The law applies only to rural areas of the state. Clinical Innovation & Technology, Arizona Daily Star.
04/15/2013
Proponents say that using telehealth technology to monitor patients in intensive care units could help reduce costs and improve care. However, critics say that there is limited evidence that tele-ICU systems lead to major improvements in patient outcomes. New York Times.
04/10/2013
Starting in October, health care facilities with high readmission rates for certain conditions could face Medicare penalties. To help providers reduce readmissions, technology vendors are developing new tools that could help patients stay healthy at home. Scientific American.
04/08/2013
Clinicians are taking advantage of new telehealth technology to provide care to patients in remote areas. For example, doctors are using videoconferencing tools and special medical devices to examine patients who are working thousands of miles away in Antarctica. Washington Post.
03/29/2013
The American Telemedicine Association has warned that many Medicare beneficiaries will lose coverage for telehealth services because their counties no longer are classified as rural. Medicare covers telehealth care only for beneficiaries in rural areas. mHIMSS, FierceHealthIT.
03/25/2013
A Kalorama Information report finds that the remote patient monitoring market grew from $8.9 billion in 2011 to $10.6 billion in 2012. The report predicts that the market will continue growing and reach $20.9 billion by 2016. Clinical Innovation & Technology, Healthcare IT News.
03/22/2013
A study published this week in the British Medical Journal finds that telehealth is not a cost-effective way to boost care for patients with long-term conditions. The authors say the results indicate that telehealth programs need to be better targeted to patients. Reuters, Medical News Today.
03/20/2013
Two senators have reintroduced a bill that aims to expand the use of telehealth to curb hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries. The bill calls for HHS to provide incentives to home health agencies that use remote monitoring technology. Alexandria Echo Press, AHA News.
03/19/2013
A new study finds that telehealth programs helped increase Oregon residents' access to stroke care by about 40%. According to the study, about 76% of Oregon residents have access to telehealth-based stroke care services. FierceHealthIT, Penn Medicine release.
03/12/2013
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has published guidelines for nurses who remotely monitor patients in the intensive care unit. The guidelines outline best practices, skills, knowledge and competencies needed for effective tele-ICU care. Modern Healthcare, AACN release.
03/12/2013
A study published in JAMA Neurology finds that telehealth care could be a feasible alternative to in-office physician visits for patients with Parkinson's disease. According to the study, using telehealth services saved patients travel time and mileage. MedPage Today, Modern Healthcare.
03/11/2013
A study published in the American Heart Journal finds that patients using telehealth tools to monitor their hypertension achieved a significant drop in their blood pressure. Such patients reported their blood pressure readings online or by telephone. KPCC's "OnCentral" et al.
03/01/2013
A new study published in the journal BMJ shows that compared with usual care, home-based telehealth services do not improve quality of life, anxiety levels or depression symptoms among patients who have diabetes, heart failure or other chronic conditions. The Atlantic et al.
02/26/2013
The latest issue of the journal Medical Care examines how the Veterans Health Administration is using health IT to improve health care services. The issue includes eight studies on VHA initiatives, as well as an editorial highlighting broad trends in the health IT industry. Medical News Today.