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If telehealth can consistency provide a convenient virtual environment, as well as a clinical workflow that identifies which patients and conditions are appropriate for telehealth services, it’s far more likely to be able to compete with in-person care, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, Senior Advisor, at the MGH Center for Innovation.
With the public health emergency scheduled to expire, the DEA has proposed rules that put patients at risk of “not getting critical, clinically appropriate medications, which in turn puts their lives at risk,” said Dr. Joseph Kvedar. In this blog, he provides information on how leaders can get involved and help prevent a “potential public health crisis.”
The key to restoring trust in telehealth is in addressing the “underlying issues that are raising concerns in the first place,” according to Joseph Kvedar, MD. In this blog, he discusses the steps the ATA is taking, and the lessons healthcare can learn from other industries.
Despite the fact that CMS has extended the public health emergency that expanded telemedicine coverage, a number of states aren’t on board, according to Dr. John Halamka and Paul Cerrato. “Finding a way to extend the regulatory waivers,” they write, “is in our patients’ best interest.”
The answer to the most basic question surrounding telehealth — ‘Is it as good as in-person care?’ — is anything but simple, according to Dr. Joseph Kvedar. In this piece, he examines the pros and cons of different types of clinical research and shares examples from recent literature that can help uncover some answers.
The virtual care model isn’t perfect, but it can “effectively address the needs of challenging patient populations, including those requiring virtual management of controlled substances,” according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, Senior Advisor of Virtual Care at Mass General Brigham.
Taking economics out of the picture, the value proposition that tips the scales for telehealth is quality, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, who cites examples where “we can extend access, provide patient convenience, and do so at a higher quality than in-person.”
Telehealth can play a much bigger role in improving care and satisfaction. But until it becomes more attractive to physicians, that potential may never be reached, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, Senior Advisor of Virtual Care at Mass General Brigham.
The CIO isn’t going away anytime soon; but it is transforming, according to Ed Kopetsky. “We’re not just computer geeks; we’re on the front line changing the way healthcare is delivered and the way the business is run,” he said in a recent interview.
As the viability of long-term telehealth reimbursement continues to hang in the balance, how can healthcare organizations prepare? What can leaders reasonably expect? Joe Kvedar, MD, shares his thoughts.
