The National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences awarded a $3.6 million grant to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in support of pediatric telehealth research.
The five-year grant builds on work already underway as part of the Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth, a network of institutions and pediatric providers within the American Academy of Pediatrics. The grant will establish a support structure for telehealth research that will provide tools, resources, education and advocacy materials, among other resources.
"This is a huge step forward in the development of safe and impactful telehealth programs across the country," MUSC Children's Health CMIO S. David McSwain, MD, said in a news release emailed to Becker's Hospital Review. "Academic research into the real impact of telehealth services is a critical component of developing and growing programs with the greatest potential to improve our healthcare system. Many physicians and other healthcare providers are hesitant about incorporating telehealth into their practices because it’s difficult to separate the theoretical benefits from the real value."
Other sub-awarded institutions of the grant are Denver-based University of Colorado — Children's Hospital Colorado, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Mercy Clinic in St. Louis.