Future Healthcare Today cultivates the latest news and trends in the health IT industry, with a particular focus on health it. This week looks at upcoming application deadlines for commercialization awards, Walgreens’ expanding role in health it and family physicians options on health it.
All of this and more in this latest health it roundup:
Telehealth: Pilot Health Tech NYC and Blueprint Health Want YOU!
Innovative healthcare companies and “host” partners (mainly providers) are invited to apply for $1 million in competitive commercialization awards to validate a technology solution for commercial use or investment. Now in its third year, Pilot Health Tech NYC is the brainchild of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with Health 2.0 and Blueprint Health. Ten awards are made in three categories: complex systems, scalable solutions and turnkey projects. Applications are due by December 18, 2015.
Read more here.
Telemedicine: Trends for 2016
Healthcare law firm Foley and Lardner, LLP sums up their view of the five trends that will drive telemedicine in 2016:
- Expanding Reimbursement and Payment Opportunities – fueled by new laws requiring coverage of telemedicine-based services at the state level, and providers becoming increasingly receptive to exploring payment models beyond fee-for-service reimbursement.2. Uptick in International Arrangements – According to the American Telemedicine Association, more than 200 academic medical centers in the U.S. already offer video-based consulting in other parts of the world.
3. Continued Momentum at the State Level – According to a study by the Center for Connected Health Policy, during the 2015 legislative session, more than 200 pieces of telemedicine-related legislation were introduced in 42 states. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws requiring that health plans cover telemedicine services.
- Retail Clinics and Employer Onsite Health Centers on the Rise – A recent Towers Watson study found that more than 35 percent of employers with onsite health facilities offer telemedicine services, and another 12 percent plan to add these services in the next two years. Other studies suggest that nearly 70 percent of employers will offer telemedicine services as an employee benefit by 2017.
- More ACOs Using Technology to Improve Care and Cut Costs – only 27 percent of ACOs achieved enough savings to qualify for those incentives last year. Meanwhile, only 20 percent of ACOs use telemedicine services, according to a recent study.
Read more here.
Telemedicine: Walgreens Continues to Bring Telemedicine Mainstream
Walgreens made good on its promise to expand its virtual care to many more states, now totaling 25. In collaboration with MDLive, Walgreens’ Web users are connected with U.S. board-certified doctors, 24 hours a day. The most recent states to join the expansion are: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Read more here.
Telehealth – Many Family Physicians are on Board with Telehealth If…
Family physicians who have practiced less than 10 years and those who practiced in rural settings were more likely to use health it, according to a survey conducted by the Robert Graham Center for Anthem, Inc. and the American Academy of Family Physicians, and nearly nine out of ten family physicians say they would use health it to assist in treating their patients if they were compensated for it.
The report, “A First Look at Attitudes Surrounding Telehealth,” focuses on physician attitudes about health it, the patient services for which health it is most used and the hurdles that impede greater adoption of the technology. Its findings are based on 1,557 family physicians’ responses to a mail survey on beliefs, attitudes and use of health it in patient care.
Most of the family physicians surveyed still feel their patients may prefer to see their doctor face-to-face, but three in four recognize that health it is a way to improve access to care for their patients. Of the majority of those family physicians using health it in their practice, 49 percent reported using real-time video in the past 12 months. About 15 percent of those who responded to the survey said they used health it in their practices.
Read more here.
Telehealth – Telemedicine in Rural Areas Gets a Boost from USDA
Since 2009, USDA has provided more than $213 million in loans and grants for 634 distance learning and telemedicine projects in rural areas nationwide. In honor of National Rural Health Day, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is investing an additional $23.4 million in 75 projects across 31 states and the Western Pacific to expand distance learning and telemedicine opportunities in rural areas.
The grants are provided through USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants program and may be used to purchase equipment to provide educational and telemedicine services to rural communities. One of the projects USDA funded through the grant is improving medical care in rural Arkansas by establishing a critical care network connecting six rural medical centers to a hospital in Little Rock. High-resolution audio and video equipment enables teams of specialists in Little Rock to conduct virtual rounds in participating hospitals.
Read more here.
Telemedicine is an excellent option available for families who live in locations where it is difficult to access in-person care for children. It is also an urgent care solution outside of office hours when most pediatric offices are not open or when a middle-of-the-night drive is not a realistic option.