Telehealth

The American Telemedicine Association's 18th Annual International Meeting & Trade Show kicked off with a flourish on Sunday in Austin, Texas, as the trade organization works to drive adoption of distance-based care and prepare for rapid change as new virtual models are embraced.

Wendy Deibert, RN, BSN, executive director of telemedicine services for the St. Louis-based network, has been an advocate for the advancement of telemedicine and the development of new initiatives that help bring healthcare outside of the hospital's walls.

Telehealth has done big things for care delivery nationwide, particularly in the realm of pediatrics. Showcasing these achievements, the ATA's 7th annual Pediatric Telehealth Colloquium will underscore the work of clinicians whom have used telehealth to transform the concept of care delivery.

Can the current regulatory structure in place within the federal government keep pace with health IT without inhibiting innovation? A difficult question to answer, indeed, particularly in light of what National Coordinator Farzad Mostashari, MD, calls a "seismic shift" under way in three aspects of healthcare: how it's paid for, how it's delivered and how patients engage in their own care.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the American Telemedicine Association. Over the last two decades, ATA has evolved, embracing the ongoing changes in medical technology, telecommunications modalities and the delivery of healthcare.

Although the telehealth concept has been around for decades, the changing healthcare business model combined with the proliferation of wireless communications may finally give it the spark it needs to really catch fire, market observers say.

Robert Jarrin, senior director of government affairs at Qualcomm Incorporated -- like most people involved in the mHealth world -- is waiting with bated breath for the Food and Drug Administration to finalize its mobile medical apps guidance.

Hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries in almost 100 counties across the United States and its territories will be losing coverage for telehealth services because they no longer live in federally designated rural areas. As a result of the 2010 Census, 97 counties in 36 states and territories are being redefined as metropolitan, rather than rural.

The five most recent CIOs of the Year look into the future and imagine what healthcare IT will look like in 10 years. What they see ahead, they say, is both challenging and exciting.

While their colleagues in Washington are starting to take interest in the promises of digital health, lawmakers in several states are forging ahead with their own legislative ideas. According to the American Telemedicine Association, seven states and the District of Columbia have seen bills introduced in the past four weeks that address coverage and reimbursement for telemedicine services.