Telehealth Today and Tomorrow Focus at June Clinical Strategy Committee Meeting

“Telehealth: Today and Tomorrow” was the focus of the Clinical Strategy Committee Meeting (CSC) with panelists providing information around the current status and future of telehealth in RI (CSC Telehealth Panelist PPT). Daniela Fairchild, MS Ed, Director, RI Office of Innovation discussed broadband access while noting that 50% of urban core cities lack in-home coverage and 20% of all Rhode Islanders are under-connected. Information also was provided on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Mary Jo Condon, MPPA, Senior Consultant, Freedman Healthcare provided regional, national and RI telehealth utilization information observing that 50% of people in APCD had at least one telehealth service, with behavioral health being the most common diagnosis. Marea Tumber, JD, MPH, OHIC Principal Policy Associate, provided an update on the current status of RI legislative and regulatory activities concerning telehealth. Health plans discussed current telehealth usage looking at both RI primary care practices and Teladoc services. Useful links provided were: “Direct-To-Consumer Telemedicine Visits for Acute Respiratory Infections Linked to More Downstream Visits”, HEALTH AFFAIRS 40, NO. 4 (2021): 596–602 and “Direct-To-Consumer Telehealth May Increase Access to Care but Does Not Decrease Spending”, HEALTH AFFAIRS, VOL. 36, NO. 3. The CSC panel discussion was moderated by Andrew Solomon, MPH, Senior Program Manager, Northeast Telehealth Resource Center who also provided information on the upcoming NETRC conference. CME credit is available for this CSC meeting and here is the recording.