Telehealth has been a key theme at HIMSS for several years now; that said, it has never quite lived up to its own hype and to some extent has been viewed as a “niche” area compared to some of its bigger brothers such as EHR and population health. The back-end of 2018 and start of 2019 saw developments that are likely to change this in the near future.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated several of its guidance models and the 2019 physician fee schedule in relation to
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Accenture Survey: Millennials and Gen Z Embracing Virtual Care Models
Millennial and Gen Z consumers in the U.S. are rapidly adopting non-traditional care models, such as retail clinics, virtual and digital health services, according to results of a newly released Accenture survey. The survey reveals healthcare consumers today are changing, and their expectations for convenience, affordability, and quality are redefining how they engage at each stage of care. Survey BackgroundAccenture surveyed 2,338 U.S. healthcare consumers (ages 18+) between November and
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American Well Launches Multi-Functional Telehealth Carts
Telehealth platform American Well, today announced the launch of American Well 250 Cart, an FDA-cleared multi-functional telehealth cart that will enable health systems to digitally load-balance clinical services for on-demand and scheduled visits, leveraging both in-system and cloud-network providers and specialists. The 250 cart joins the Cisco-Based 760 Cart, which American Well launched In January, also focused on acute care use cases.American Well 250 Telemedicine Cart OverviewThe American
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VA Tops 1 Million Video Telehealth Visits in FY2018
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has reached a telehealth milestone, achieving more than 1 million video telehealth visits in one fiscal year (FY18), a 19 percent increase in video telehealth visits over the prior year. From October 2017 through September 2018, Veterans received VA quality care during approximately 2.3 million episodes of telehealth care.- About half (1,074,400) were video telehealth encounters, which allows real-time interaction between VA care
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Teladoc Rolls Out Expanded Virtual Care Capabilities for Health Systems
Virtual care platform Teladoc Health, today announced new capabilities that enable health systems to deliver a broader spectrum of virtual care services and to streamline diagnostic testing orders. The new Clinical WorkScope and Diagnostic Testing capabilities are now available to all current and future users of the Teladoc Health SaaS-based licensed platform.Here is a look at Teladoc's expanded capabilities: - Clinical WorkScope – Enabling Unlimited Virtual Use Cases with Unprecedented
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Teladoc Launches Personalized Back Care Solution to Expand Portfolio of Offerings
Today Teladoc Health announced the U.S. launch of Teladoc Back Care – a personalized, online back pain treatment program to reduce the intensity, frustration, and impact of back pain. This new service adds to Teladoc Health’s broadening array of services, ranging from cold and flu to complex conditions like behavioral health, and even cancer.With back pain estimated to be the third-highest medical cost driver in the U.S. at $87 billion, this service is expected to have a tremendous impact on
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Israeli Telehealth Startup TytoCare Extends Series C, Bringing Total Funds to $33.5M
TytoCare, an Israeli-based telehealth company, today announced it has extended its Series C funding to add key strategic investors, bringing the total funds raised to $33.5M. This is an extension of the oversubscribed 2018 round led by Ping An Global Voyager Fund with new investors Shenzhen Capital Group of China, Japan’s Itochu, and Sanford Health of the US.Founded in 2012, TytoCare has three telehealth products: TytoHome™ for consumers, TytoPro™ for professionals, and TytoClinic™ for remote
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Heal Expands On-Demand Doctor Calls to Atlanta Metro Area for Aetna Members
On-demand doctor house call service provider Heal today announced it has joined Aetna’s robust network of high-quality providers in the metro Atlanta area, including Gwinnett, Forsyth, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Clayton counties. Effective immediately, Aetna Commercial members can schedule house calls with pediatricians, internists and family practice physicians for the same co-pay as a primary care doctor’s office visit.Between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year, a
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Telepsychiatry: Why It’s An Important Strategy for Improving Mental Health
Recent high-profile events have elevated the national discussion about mental illness and how best to circumvent potentially disastrous outcomes.Supply and demand of mental and behavioral health care services sit at the heart of the problem, and while various schools of thought exist as to the solution, most in the industry agree on one point: the behavioral health access crisis has reached a tipping point. From extreme shortages in psychiatric beds—numbering roughly 14 per every 100,000 people
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New Jersey Department of Health Awards $2.3M to Enhance Pediatric Care through Telehealth
The New Jersey Department of Health announced on Thursday it has awarded more than $2.3 million in funding to enhance primary, behavioral and mental healthcare for children and adolescents through telehealth visits and new education programs. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the state DOH $445,000 for five years — a total of $2,225,000. Funding Details & PurposeThe $2.3 million will provide technical assistance and training to 1,800 primary care providers on
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