Telehealth

Telehealth is changing care delivery in communities across America.

From emergency department care to remote patient monitoring for chronic care management and access to care from specialists, telehealth is changing the way health care is provided –- both expanding patient access to routine and specialty care while improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.

Recent years have seen significant growth in the use of telehealth, to the point where more than half of U.S. hospitals connect with patients and consulting practitioners through the use of video and other technology.

However, coverage, payment and other policy issues prevent full use of telehealth, remote patient monitoring and similar technologies. Medicare policy is particularly challenging, as it limits the geographic and practice settings where beneficiaries may receive services, as well as the types of services that may be provided via telehealth and the types of technology that may be used. Access to broadband services and state-level policy issues, such as licensure, also limit the ability to use telehealth.

The AHA supports the expansion of patient access created by hospitals’ efforts to deliver high-quality and innovative telehealth services.

Explore this web page for information on national, state and local activities that affect telehealth and find research that documents the value of telehealth in advancing health in America. We welcome your questions and feedback; email us at telehealth@aha.org.

 

AHA Telehealth Research

AHA Telehealth Factsheet, February 2019 Telehealth: Delivering the Right Care, at the Right Place, at the Right Time: Case Examples of AHA Members in Action, July 2017 Telehealth: Helping Hospitals Deliver Cost-Effective Care, April 2016 Realizing the Promise of Telehealth: Understa...

Use of Telehealth in Hospitals and Health Systems—Members in Action

Taking Telehealth to the Next Level Nationally: Telehealth Centers of Excellence - Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) (February 2018)Telehealth: Delivering the Right Care, at the Right Place, at the Right Time: Case Examples o...

Federal Telehealth Advocacy

Improving Patient Care Through Telehealth Access Federal Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives Telehealth Fact Sheet [PDF] Fact Sheet: Telehealth February 2019 AHA Testimonies and Public Comments [PDF] Letter to the FCC on Promoting Telehealth in Rural Areas February...

State Telehealth Advocacy

Expanding Access to Telehealth State Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives National Telehealth Policy Resource Center Federal and State Legislative and Regulatory Tracking System http://cchpca.org/laws/pending/state Access to proposed federal and state legislative and regulatory in...

State and Regional Telehealth Networks

Expanding Access to Telehealth State and Regional Telehealth Networks Arizona Telemedicine Program Arkansas e-Link University of Arkansas Nurse: Telehealth Turns Underserved Communities into Wired Populations California Telehealth Network Colorado Telehealth Network Delaware Tel...

External Telehealth Research and Resources

Establishing the Value of Telehealth External Research - 2017 Creating a Framework to Support Measure Development for Telehealth. National Quality Forum. (August 2017) Telehealth Private Payer Laws: Impact and Issues. Milbank Memorial Fund. (August 2017) The Virtual House Call: A ...