Amwell® (NYSE: AMWL), a national telehealth leader, today announced the expansion of its virtual specialty provider and clinical program portfolio by adding Amwell Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Dermatology programs.

Telehealth protections are fading as pandemic era waivers, which allowed providers to treat patients across state lines, are expiring. Many lobbyists are worried about the future of the industry and believe that the current proposals don't do enough to help secure its future, Politico reported April 20. 

Several libraries across the nation are taking health equity into their own hands by developing private telehealth rooms, allowing patients to have confidential, secure conversations with their physicians. 

Hospitals are expanding their telehealth platforms to improve health outcomes, lower medical costs, free up bed space and provide access to care to all patient communities.

Amwell added clinical programs for musculoskeletal care and dermatology, the telehealth platform said April 20.

To create the most effective virtual care programs, health systems should establish a framework that spans across documentation, integration, best practices and support, according to an April 19 Harvard Business Review article.

Social workers were the top speciality provider delivering telehealth services in January, according to an April 19 U.S. News & World Report article.

Kaiser Permanente and Intermountain were some of the earliest adopters of telemedicine and have been using virtual methods to improve health outcomes, lower medical cost and free up bed space. In a May 2022 Harvard Business Review article, Robert Pearl, former CEO of Oakland, Calif.-based Permanente Medical Group, and Brian Wayling, executive director of telehealth at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, share their system's strategies.

Renton, Wash.-based Providence has conducted more than 3 million telehealth visits since March 2020 and is working to expand that service, according to its telehealth annual report.

Windber, Pa.-based Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center is in the process of creating a new telehealth program equipped with monitoring technology, The Tribune-Democrat reported April 15.

As health systems emerge from the pandemic, many are asking strategic questions such as: What business do we want to be in? What roles do virtual and hybrid care play? What do we do ourselves and where do we partner?

Phoenix-based Banner Health is piloting a telehealth program aimed at increasing access to obstetrical care for rural patients.

Remote care has a long and storied history. In The Lancet, an article from 1879 describes, “doctor’s appointments through the telephone to avoid unnecessary office visits”. And in the US, acute care in the home has been written about for over 25 years. With the pandemic necessitating change, CMS launched the AHCaH initiative and enabled Medicare-certified hospitals to be reimbursed for inpatient-level care in the home.

National telehealth use among individuals with private health insurance grew 10.2 percent from December to January, up from 4.9 percent of all medical claim lines to 5.4 percent, according to an April 6 Fair Health report. 

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health's completed merger will expand telehealth and innovation efforts, news outlets reported April 4.

Before the pandemic, telehealth made up less than 1 percent of visits across all specialties. COVID-19 accelerated demand for these services, immediately increasing in 2020 to 8 percent of primary care visits and 3 percent of specialty care visits. 

The Government Accountability Office on March 31 recommended CMS assess the effect increased telehealth use is having on the quality of care received by Medicaid beneficiaries.

Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare expanded its telehealth offerings to include remote physical examinations.

Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health launched five programs to expand telehealth access to more patients, the health system announced March 31.

Telehealth usage has boomed throughout the pandemic, but many physicians are unsure about its sustainability. Here are three key reasons some physicians are reluctant to adopt the care delivery model.