In early 2019, HITEQ completed a literature review of recent research and publications about telehealth. Within this compendium, HITEQ summarizes these articles and discusses possible implications or considerations for health centers.

A brief study of how health centers who report using telehealth compare to those who do not, using data reported on 2017 UDS. This analysis suggests that the average performance on each clinical quality measure is higher among those health centers who report using telehealth than those who do not use telehealth. 

The Center for Connected Health Policy's (CCHP) published in April 2018 provides the most current summary guide of telehealth-related policies, laws and regulations for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This guide focuses on Medicaid, outlining trends as well as the details of each state's definitions, reimbursement policies, and licensure requirements. 

While nearly all health centers have reported the use of electronic health records, only 38 percent are utilizing some type of telehealth technology, most notably to provide mental health services. Despite significant research that telehealth is as effective as in-person visits, there are still many barriers to its use, including the lack of consistent visit reimbursement, technology costs, broadband availability, and resistance to changes to workflow.  This webinar discussed the current state of telehealth use by health centers and the barriers to implementation and use and introduced participants to the national and regional Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs).

This free Webcast Series is designed for provider organizations who would like to develop or expand tele-behavioral health services for underserved populations.