Category: telehealth

Majority of providers frustrated with lofty patient expectations for virtual visits: study

Fifty-five percent of healthcare providers are frustrated with managing patient expectations for telehealth visits, according to research released March 15 by UnitedHealth Group.

Telehealth is still a ‘luxury good,’ expert says

National utilization trends suggest telehealth has not expanded access to healthcare, as only a small number of people make up the majority of users, FastCompany reported March 18.

Why the VA wants to make mental telehealth for veterans permanent

The VA wants to make telephone mental healthcare appointments permanent to better serve veterans reluctant to receive in-person care, Military.com reported March 17. 

FCC awards $30M in telehealth funds to 16 providers

The Federal Communications Commission on March 16 selected the fourth and final set of  projects for its Connected Care Pilot Program, awarding nearly $30 million to 16 providers.

Higher mental telehealth use sustained more than a year into pandemic, analysis finds   

Telehealth continued to account for over one-third of mental health and substance use outpatient care visits more than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 15 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Majority of clinicians say telehealth hurts their ability to show empathy, report finds

Fifty-one percent of clinicians said telehealth negatively affects their ability to demonstrate empathy with patients, according to a report released March 15 by analytics firm Elsevier Health.

Verizon enhancing telehealth platform 

Verizon is expanding the BlueJeans Telehealth platform it launched in 2021. 

Funding concerns raised for suicide prevention hotline

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is transitioning to its new 988 call number in July, but there are concerns that funding might not meet the expected increased demand, according to a March 13 article from The New York Times. 

Omnibus spending bill leaves telehealth coverage questions unanswered

Congress passed the omnibus spending bill that expanded coverage of telehealth services, but experts fear that the bill failed to detail which telehealth services would be covered by insurers, FastCompany reported March 12.

Microsoft Teams adds features for virtual healthcare appointments

Integrating with Cerner’s EHR to collect patient information from virtual visits, Microsoft’s new features in Teams aim to provide a simpler and convenient experience for patients and providers for telehealth workflows.