Telehealth continues to offer solutions to old and new healthcare challenges, from extending services in rural areas to addressing nursing shortages amid COVID-19. But formidable barriers remain in expanding telehealth.

Third-party contracted physicians prescribed antibiotics at a higher rate over telemedicine than their affiliated counterparts, a study published in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare found. 

HSS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a toolkit to help healthcare providers prepare for the July 16 launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to a March 16 America Hospital Association news release. 

Teladoc Health unveiled a framework to help employers and health plans enhance their healthcare benefits by integrating virtual care.

Telehealth apps that aim to help treat the nation's addiction and opioid epidemic are increasing in popularity, drawing in investor dollars, but critics wonder whether the treatments are equitable, reported Kaiser Health News March 21. 

A March 15 HHS Office of the Inspector General report concluded telehealth was critical for providing services to Medicare beneficiaries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Fifty-five percent of healthcare providers are frustrated with managing patient expectations for telehealth visits, according to research released March 15 by UnitedHealth Group.

National utilization trends suggest telehealth has not expanded access to healthcare, as only a small number of people make up the majority of users, FastCompany reported March 18.

The VA wants to make telephone mental healthcare appointments permanent to better serve veterans reluctant to receive in-person care, Military.com reported March 17. 

Health centers serving underserved populations through telemedicine should ensure they are collecting disaggregated data, building essential care teams and working with non-English speakers to create their programs, according to a recent report.

The Federal Communications Commission on March 16 selected the fourth and final set of  projects for its Connected Care Pilot Program, awarding nearly $30 million to 16 providers.

Telehealth continued to account for over one-third of mental health and substance use outpatient care visits more than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 15 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Fifty-one percent of clinicians said telehealth negatively affects their ability to demonstrate empathy with patients, according to a report released March 15 by analytics firm Elsevier Health.

Verizon is expanding the BlueJeans Telehealth platform it launched in 2021. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is transitioning to its new 988 call number in July, but there are concerns that funding might not meet the expected increased demand, according to a March 13 article from The New York Times. 

Congress passed the omnibus spending bill that expanded coverage of telehealth services, but experts fear that the bill failed to detail which telehealth services would be covered by insurers, FastCompany reported March 12.

Integrating with Cerner's EHR to collect patient information from virtual visits, Microsoft's new features in Teams aim to provide a simpler and convenient experience for patients and providers for telehealth workflows.

Researchers at Utah State University are using Zoom therapy sessions to study the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents suffering from health anxiety. 

The World Health Organization has reccomended the use of telemedicine for abortion pill prescriptions.

Telepsychiatry app Cerebral has grown explosively during the pandemic, but 27 former employees said the company could be fueling a new addiction crisis, according to a March 11 Bloomberg report.