This quarterly communication, for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) grantees, is brought to you by the technical assistance team of the Georgia Health Policy Center and CSI Solutions. |
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The Georgia Health Policy Center recently spoke to Anthony Noto, M.D., the vice chair of acute care neurology for Geisinger Medical Center, about the center's participation in the Telehealth Network Grant Program. |
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The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health System operates in a hub and spoke model, consisting of three rural hospitals and one freestanding emergency department that serves Maryland's Eastern Shore. |
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Thursday, June 17, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
Join us at our next webinar for Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) grantees focused on tele-stroke and the expansion of care into the pre-hospital setting. Our speaker, Dr. Sherita Chapman, will share her insights as a pioneer in the field of tele-emergency medicine support. Dr. Chapman has extensive experience establishing tele-stroke programs and working with ambulance services in rural communities. She will discuss overcoming challenges with local emergency medical services, the practical adaptation of technology in the field, and the application of implementation science to telehealth. Dr. Chapman is a neurologist and an assistant professor in the stroke division at the University of Virginia.
Note: Advance registration is required. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with details for accessing the webinar. You can register via the original email announcement or here.
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Save-the-Date! Office for the Advancement of Telehealth All Programs Virtual Meeting
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July 27-28, 2021, from 12:30-5:00 p.m. ET
Please mark your calendars! The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) invites you as a current TNGP awardee to attend the summer OAT All Programs Virtual Meeting, Telehealth Today and Beyond: 2021 OAT Telehealth Programs and Partnerships. This event is scheduled for July 27-28, 2021, from 12:30–5:00 p.m. ET. Registration and additional meeting information will follow soon. Along with other OAT-funded grant program awardees, you will have the opportunity to hear from subject matter experts, learn from other Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)/OAT-funded grantees, and build connections with others in the field of telehealth.
If you have any additional questions in the meantime, please reach out to your Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)/OAT Project Officer.
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HRSA’s FORHP funded the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program to serve the dual purpose of providing telehealth services in rural emergency departments (teleED) and systematically collecting data to inform the telehealth evidence base. This provided a unique opportunity to examine trends across multiple teleED networks’ processes and outcomes. This study examines six FORHP grantees that used teleED services for a rural population with urgent or emergent symptoms, resulting in transferring to a distant hospital or inpatient admission locally. TeleED was often available as the first point of contact before a local provider examination. This finding points to the important role of teleED in improving access for rural emergency department patients.
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This comprehensive article from Kaiser Health News examines the provision of stroke care in two underserved areas in the United States. Over 800,000 strokes happen each year, and getting medical help as soon as possible is crucial to avoid permanent injury and death from stroke. But for those living in rural areas, the nearest health care facility could be over 100 miles away. This article examines possible solutions, including telehealth modalities.
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A national shortage of mental health professionals leaves more than 90% of rural individuals without adequate access to services each year. One-third of Veterans Health Administration enrollees live in rural areas and rural veterans have a greater risk of suicide than urban veterans. Additional barriers such as travel distance, cost, stigma, and extreme weather or geography add to the challenges rural veterans face when seeking treatment. Video telehealth to home has assisted in better addressing geographic, attitudinal, and systematic barriers to in-person care; however, its uptake and implementation have been problematic. This article describes the Personalized Implementation of Video Telehealth for Rural Veterans approach, developed in response to the unique needs of rural veterans.
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A year into the pandemic, telehealth has become widely accepted. Some states are now looking into making the measures that have fueled its growth permanent. But with it comes some unintended consequences. The authors highlight some of the unintended consequences of the widespread adoption of telehealth including the rise in fraud, potential access problems for vulnerable groups, and conflicts between out-of-state and in-state health providers.
Click here to access the article.
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RESOURCES, NEW AND OTHER UPDATES |
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The Health Resources and Services Administration recently announced that they will be awarding up to $475,000 to support up to nine public or private, non-profit or for-profit entities. Specifically, the funding will support the connection of specialists at academic medical centers to primary care providers in rural areas to improve patient care within their communities. Applications are due June 25, 2021.
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The California Telehealth Resource Center drafted a guide that features a template that users can adapt and modify to suit their specific program needs. The guide provides information and examples on:
- Marketing objectives, strategy, analysis, and activities
- Messaging and sampling headlines
- Resources
- Success metrics
- Financials
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The National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center drafted a toolkit that details policy recommendations and considerations that addresses policy and regulatory barriers and complexities that have hindered nationwide telehealth adoption. Policy recommendations are provided on:
- Telehealth coverage and payment post-COVID-19
- Licensure
- HIPPA privacy and security
- Remote prescribing and more
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The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County – Clinical Services drafted a toolkit that guides users with implementing remote patient monitoring specifically in Federally Qualified Health Centers. The toolkit provides information on:
- Developing a detailed business plan including project planning and management, memorandums of understanding and other agreements, developing patient inclusion/exclusion criteria, determining proper resources, developing various workflows, and an evaluation plan
- Analyzing and creating a return on investment and sustainability plan
- Electronic health record integration
- Staffing and training
- Communicating internally and externally
- Registered nurse scope for in-home installation and patient education, including a visit checklist
- Identifying and measuring various program outcomes
- Device management
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The National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center provides interactive toolkits that allow users to learn the fundamentals of various technological devices, platforms, and apps and assess their use for their respective telehealth programs. Additional toolkits assist users with identifying their needs and aligning technology with clinical requirements. A few of the toolkits are:
- Technology assessment 101
- Clinician’s guide to video platforms
- Patient exam cameras
- Home telehealth
- Mobile blood pressure
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June 1-29, 2021
Please join the American Telemedicine Association as they host their annual conference and expo. The conference will showcase a mix of practical applications of telehealth, including primary care and specialty care, provide hands-on workshops, and highlight important next steps for the future of telehealth. The conference will also spotlight best practices to improve patient and provider experiences and outcomes. Virtual sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday. Email events@americantelmed.com for more information.
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June 10, 2021, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Please join HRSA’s Office of Regional Operations, Region 10, as they host the first of four webinars highlighting rural success stories. The webinar will share promising practices and challenges faced in Alaska to improve telehealth services in rural settings and HRSA resources available to rural communities to expand health care services through telehealth.
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Please join the Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center as they host a series of webinars on various telehealth-related topics.
June 23, 2021
Marketing your telehealth program
June 28, 2021
Using remote patient monitoring to improve outcomes
June 29, 2021
Telehealth consent and documentation
June 30, 2021
Telehealth technology workshop or demo videos
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July 13-14, 2021
Please join Xtelligent Healthcare Media as they host a virtual summit on remote patient monitoring (RPM). The keynote speaker, Deaconess Health, will share the successes of their RPM program. Additionally, there will be sessions on reimbursement and sustainability, choosing the right technology, and facilitating patient and staff buy-in and support.
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