How is virtual healthcare used to benefit patients and care givers? What are the newest innovations in virtual care technology? How do telehealth and telemedicine fit into the realm of virtual healthcare? We have our finger on the pulse and are striving to report the latest developments around virtual healthcare.
Industry News
Wheel Adds Three High-Impact Companies to Its Integrated Virtual Care Ecosystem, Delivering More Choice, Improved Access, and Affordability to Patients
Wheel, the virtual care platform powering the future of care, announced it is adding three high-impact companies to its Integrated Virtual Care Ecosystem — Talkspace; Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs); and Health Gorilla.
Ferrell Hospital and CareSimple Partner to Deliver Virtual Care to High-Need Patients in Southern Illinois
Ferrell Hospital and CareSimple are teaming up to bring innovative virtual care to high-need patients in Southern Illinois. This initiative tackles the challenge of chronic disease management in rural areas, where residents often face limited access to healthcare and experience high rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Access TeleCare and UT Southwestern Project Aims to Improve Outcomes for Rural Patients with Heart Failure
Access TeleCare and the UT Southwestern Medical Center, with integral support from the American Heart Association (AHA), are leading a two-year project to evaluate options to improve the care of patients with heart failure in rural communities across the country.
GE HealthCare and Biofourmis Collaborate to Extend Patient Monitoring Outside the Hospital with Virtual Care-at-Home Solutions
GE HealthCare and Biofourmis have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing continuity of care by enabling safe, effective, and accessible care in the home to support the patient journey beyond the hospital setting. The collaboration leverages the combined expertise of two market leaders to scale and deliver innovative care-at-home solutions.
ThinkAndor® AI-first Technology Poised to Reshape Care Delivery with Ambient Nursing and Staff Documentation
Andor Health, the AI company reimagining virtual care, continues to innovate and push the boundaries of how AI can be used to modernize care delivery.
Product News
Pager Launches Innovative APP-Free Engagement Solution
Pager Inc., a virtual care, navigation and collaboration platform serving 28 million members in the United States and Latin America, announced the release of an innovative app-free engagement solution.
Virtual healthcare delivery platform hellocare announces Alexa Smart Properties Integration at HIMSS 2024
Leading virtual healthcare delivery platform hellocare announced an integration with Alexa Smart Properties at the HIMSS 2024 healthcare conference in Orlando.
Panva Technology Revolutionizes Telemedicine with AI-Powered Clinical Note Assistance
In the fast-evolving landscape of healthcare, video-based telemedicine has emerged as a transformative force, enhancing patient experiences and expanding the reach of healthcare providers beyond traditional office settings. However, with the surge in telehealth visits, a pressing challenge has emerged: the efficient documentation of patient encounters. Addressing this concern, Panva Technology proudly announces the launch of its groundbreaking AI-powered clinical note assistance eMDNotes.
UTMHealthcare Partners with Somml Health to Enhance Chronic Disease Care with Launch of NuLink Health
UTMHealthcare, a mobile health technology company, announced the launch of NuLink Health in collaboration with virtual care platform Somml Health. NuLink Health partners with providers to improve the care of at-risk patients between office visits, creating operational and cost efficiencies for medical practices.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Morehouse School of Medicine Modernizes Remote Patient Monitoring with AI-Powered ThinkAndor
Andor Health, the company reimagining how patients are managed and monitored, brings AI power to remote patient monitoring at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM).
Policy News
HHS Office for Civil Rights Works with Hospital to Improve Access to Kosher Electronic Devices Used for Virtual Patient Visitation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), finalized its work with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to ensure virtual visitation is accessible to Jewish patients. OCR received complaints that Jewish patients and their loved ones were not accommodated with kosher electronic devices for virtual visits at NewYork-Presbyterian, a major New York healthcare system with hospitals in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester. Federal law prohibits hospitals that participate in Medicaid and Medicare from restricting patient visitation in a manner that discriminates on the basis of religion.
To Read
A New Era of Healthcare: Telehealth vs. Telemedicine Explained by Healthnews – With the line between face-to-face and virtual care becoming increasingly blurry, grasping the nuances of telehealth and telemedicine may be key to ensuring patients receive the best care possible.
AI and Telehealth: Rewards Come With Patient Privacy Risks by Forbes – Artificial intelligence (AI) and telehealth are no longer a future concept. They have transformed care delivery.
3 Post-Pandemic Lessons About The Future Of Telehealth And Technology – With a product as vital as health, there’s no room for error when it comes to delivery. Here are three lessons about how to scale rapidly that I gleaned from conversations with a variety of healthcare and telehealth leaders.
Telehealth in care deserts: Helping to overcome barriers created by location, costs, or social stigma by Wolters Kluwer – Both patients and professionals are becoming more comfortable with virtual care, helping improve outcomes when access to traditional, in-person care is inconsistent.
To Listen
Our HealthcareNOW Radio Telehealth Playlist
The Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines telehealth as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.” To learn more and find out about the latest in telehealth tune in to the episodes on this playlist. Additionally, be sure to read HCNR’s Friday Five which recaps the site’s month long concentration on telehealth.
Defining the Industry According to the AAFP
Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. It occurs using a telecommunications infrastructure between a patient (at an originating or spoke site) and a physician or other practitioner licensed to practice medicine (at a distant or hub site).
Virtual Care is a patient service model for healthcare providers.
Telehealth refers to a broad collection of electronic and telecommunications technologies that support health care delivery and services from distant locations. Telehealth technologies support virtual medical, health, and education services.
Hashtags to follow for updates on Telemedicine:
Telehealth.HHS.gov
During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, we don’t have to choose between medical care and social distancing. When patients can get health care through telehealth — and doctors can provide it — we protect ourselves and our communities. The Telehealth.HHS.gov website provides information about the latest federal efforts to support and promote telehealth services.
The American Telemedicine Association Events
ATA is a non-profit association based in Washington DC with a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals. We are a leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Find their next event.
Upcoming Events
ATA2024 Annual Conference & Expo (@AmericanTelemed)
What: ATA2024 Annual Conference & Expo
When: May 5-7, 2024
Where: Phoenix, AZ
Save the date.
ATA2024 Annual Conference & Expo – Amplify your message, build brand awareness, and connect with industry decision-makers – all gathered for the telehealth event of the year! Create a customized sponsorship and reserve your space on the exhibit floor today!