New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health launched its emergency room on-demand program, which allows patients to access physicians in the middle of the night.

Hospitals and health systems that use Teladoc Health's telehealth platform will now have a direct connection to Microsoft Teams, the two companies said July 14.

The Biden administration has proposed expanding telehealth reimbursement for behavioral healthcare services as part of its proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule, which CMS unveiled July 13. 

Entering 2020, the healthcare sector has faced numerous challenges.

Seventy-seven percent of telehealth visits during the second half of 2020 were for long-term care, according to a study published July 9 in JAMA Health Forum.

In April 2020, overall telehealth use for office visits and outpatient care was 78 times higher than two months prior because of the surge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to virtual care methods. 

Patient satisfaction from virtual visits with their healthcare providers appears to be comparable to traditional in-person visits, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. 

Telehealth usage among individuals with private health insurance fell for the third consecutive month in April, dropping by 12.5 percent, according to healthcare data cost organization Fair Health. 

Telehealth use has led to a steep reduction in healthcare's carbon footprint, as it decreases greenhouse gas emissions and costs, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Climate Change and Health. 

As we inch into a post-pandemic era, many health systems are evaluating how patient navigation tools can improve access, control volume across all care settings, promote patient retention and support new patient acquisition. 

As telehealth has become an established mode of care during the pandemic, healthcare organizations must ensure ergonomically correct workstations to promote the health, comfort and performance of caregivers.

Rennova Health confirmed June 28 that it closed an agreement to sell its software and genetic testing divisions to VisualMED Clinical Solutions. 

Thousands of physicians purchased stock in health IT and telehealth networking platform Doximity during its initial public offering, according to a June 24 CNBC report.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order declaring a public health emergency expired June 26, cutting off flexibilities for telehealth across the state, the Sun Sentinel reported. 

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra voiced his support for permanent telehealth expansions and reducing access barriers after the pandemic ends during The Washington Post's June 24 virtual event on digital health. 

Twenty-two states adjusted laws or policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase insurance coverage for telemedicine services, according to a recent report from the Commonwealth Fund. 

The pandemic forced an unprecedented number of older Americans to buy new tech devices, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are using them, Kaiser Health News reported June 24.

Brightline, a virtual care platform focussing on bringing mental healthcare to children, has secured $72 million from investors, including Optum and Google.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will keep virtual care available to veterans after the pandemic ends, according to a June 23 report by The Military Times.

During the pandemic, out of necessity, the adoption and use of telehealth grew exponentially. Health systems that already had telehealth programs rapidly expanded these offerings, while other health systems sprinted to implement virtual care capabilities. This resulted in a dramatic uptick in providers trying to see patients online through any means possible, whether that be via a Facetime call or connecting through their EMR. But as a "new normal" for healthcare is emerging, it’s becoming increasingly clear that not all video connections are created equal.