HHS reiterates its stance that telehealth is a promising, effective way to expand access to care and improve care outcomes in a report to Congress outlining the agency's telehealth initiatives and activities.
The report HHS submitted was required under an appropriations bill signed into law in December asking HHS to update Congress on telehealth efforts. The report offers HHS' interpretation of telemedicine, discusses current policy challenges, reviews current federal telehealth activity and describes a legislative proposal.
Here are five key thoughts from the report.
1. Telemedicine isn't a new concept. The idea and applicability of telemedicine in some form has existed for decades, although many stakeholders speak of it as a newcomer to the healthcare field. The report offers the example of radiologists and dermatologists using store-and-forward techniques to transmit videos or images through secure electronic communication channels since the 1980s. Such processes are still in place today. However, new to the scene are telecommunications and video visits conducted in real-time.
2. The agency suggests telehealth may be particularly useful for managing chronic diseases. The report indicates 75 percent of all healthcare expenditures and 70 percent of all deaths in the U.S. are related to chronic disease. What's more, many individuals with chronic diseases are elderly and have limited mobility, which can be a burden for these individuals who often have frequent appointments. "However, aside from care for mental health, the majority of telehealth provided for chronic conditions to date has been limited to asynchronous monitoring," according to the report.
3. The report offers a distinction between telehealth and telemedicine. It indicates telemedicine historically has been used to refer to bilateral, interactive communication between two clinicians, such as videoconferencing grand rounds or sending and discussing X-rays. Telehealth, on the other hand, includes telemedicine as well as interactions directly between patients and providers and medical devices that collect and transmit health information.
4. The main policy challenge relating to telehealth is payment reform, particularly more comprehensive coverage by Medicare. Other policy challenges include licensure, credentialing and privileging, and broadband connectivity.
5. HHS' recent legislative proposal includes expanding telehealth access and services for Medicare beneficiaries. It was included in the president's fiscal year 2017 budget request. "Currently, the Medicare fee-for-service program covers telehealth services for a defined list of just under 100 treatments, and requires services to be delivered via videolink to beneficiaries living in rural areas. The Department's proposal would encourage wider appropriate delivery of telehalth services by expanding the ability of Medicare Advantage organizations to deliver certain medical services at the Secretary's discretion, via telehealth by eliminating otherwise applicable Part B requirements that certain covered services be provided exclusively through face-to-face encounters," according to the report.
More articles on telehealth:
Telehealth for health systems: a look ahead
Salesforce launches telehealth solution in its cloud
Arkansas, last holdout in allowing telemedicine, finally approves video visits