Published on Government Health IT (http://www.govhealthit.com)

By Government Health IT Staff

Created 2011-12-29 13:53

It is hard to imagine a more interesting time in the healthcare industry than today. The realm is undergoing unprecedented change, and all segments are converging on a common set of goals to leverage innovation and technology to provide quality care, improved outcomes, and cost-efficiency.Five years from now 2011 may be looked at as a pivotal time in the evolution of Telehealth. We saw a continued trend of federal funding that provides direct incentives for the use of Telehealth technology, and promising results from major pilots in the field. But most importantly, there were significant developments in the regulation of Telehealth technology and coverage of Telehealth-enabled care. These game-changers will lower the barriers to entry and accelerate the adoption of Telehealth.The Senate introduced the Fostering Independence Through Technology (FITT) Act this year to establish pilot projects under Medicare and provide incentives for home health agencies to utilize home monitoring technologies. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)granted more than $30 million for Telehealth and distance learning initiatives in rural areas nationwide. The funding will support 100 projects in 34 states and the grants include linking hospitals, installing mobile medical carts equipped with cameras, digital stethoscopes, and teleconferencing tools, and installing tele-monitoring equipment to provide remote healthcare services. Both the FITT Act and the USDA grant provide direct incentives to innovators and early-adopters of Telehealth technology.

In addition to the continued funding of Telehealth, we have seen the technology in action in 2011. Around midyear, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) conducted its first international compensation and pension (C&P) examination in Okinawa using Telehealth technology. According to the VA, the use of Telehealth technology will reduce the number of veterans awaiting examinations overseas and will ease their burden of travel. The cost savings, time efficiency, and patient satisfaction of our nation’s war heroes, will likely attract other agencies to follow the VA’s example. Also this year, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $5.1 million to encourage HIV/AIDS training. These funds will support AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) by piloting HIV Telehealth training initiatives. Telehealth is enabling the AETC to reach out and expand access to its target population, the HIV-positive persons residing in underserved communities. The successful pilots performed by the VA and AETC demonstrate that Telehealth can be practically applied in the real world today.

Medical Device manufacturers and Mobile Application Developers should benefit from improved guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for mobile medical applications. This year the FDA clarified its regulatory authority over this fast growing field. These applications will offer physicians the chance to view medical records and monitor their patients from mobile devices. Device manufacturers and app developers finally have clarity on how to build solutions that will be safe, effective and approved for use in the market.

Lastly, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed rule changes that would make it much easier for Providers to be paid for health care services they deliver leveraging Telehealth technologies. This will also help smaller hospitals in rural areas to access remote specialty services. CMS is focusing on the clinical benefit of making certain services available through Telehealth, and the proposed rule would update payment policies and rates for physicians and non-physician practitioners. These changes would allow physicians to provide video consultations at remote hospitals without needing to receive credentialing at each remote medical center. According to the White House, the change could save hospitals about $13.6 million. This rule is significant because many other Payers in the US healthcare system follow CMS’ lead when determining what services to pay for and how much to pay. It will give providers confidence that they will be compensated for the healthcare services they provide leveraging Telehealth technology.

It has been an exciting year with all the actions the Federal Government has taken to promote Telehealth and telemedicine to the mainstream. We definitely have a lot to look forward to in the next few years as the healthcare sector moves toward rewarding value, and striving for greater accountability. The Telehealth developments of 2011 could indicate that a revolutionary transformation of healthcare delivery is right around the corner.

Source URL: http://www.govhealthit.com/news/telehealth-year-review