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Sotera Wireless gets FDA nod for mobile vital sign monitor (posted: 4-16-12)
As we noted in our recently published Mobile Health: State of the Industry Q1 2012 report, late last month the FDA granted Sotera Wireless 510(k) clearance for its wearable vital signs monitoring device, the ViSi Mobile Monitoring system. Sotera submitted the system to the FDA last August and received Class II 510(k) clearance on March 22nd of this year.
Click here to read more
Sheridan company gets grant to develop mobile wound care app (posted 3-26-12)
A Sheridan company is developing an app for Apple products to help doctors treat wounds.
Todd Guion is designing the wound care app for MobileHealthWare, LLC. with a $10,000 grant from the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center.
The company wants nursing homes, home care groups, and other health agencies to be able to track the healing process.
Click here to read the whole story
Draft senate bill to ease telehealth licensure challenges (posted: 2-7-12)
At some point this Spring, and perhaps as early as April, Senator Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, plans to introduce a bill that would help ease some of the biggest barriers currently facing telehealth. The expected bill, which is still being drafted, would streamline licensure portability for physicians and make it easier for them to practice telemedicine in more than one state.
Udall’s legislative assistant Fern Goodhart told Government Health ITthat the bill would streamline licensure for physicians by creating a unified set of standardized data in a comprehensive, interoperable database of primary source verified credentials that might include claims history, hospital privileges, and criminal background check with one unified application. Goodhart also predicted that multi-state could just be the beginning and telemedicine could have nationwide licensure ultimately.
To continue reading click here.
CDC Releases iPad App
More and more people are using smart phones and tablets to view emails and social media accounts, watch movies, and read books or magazines. Increasingly, people are also using these tools to find health information.
As users begin to prefer mobile technology for “just in time” internet access, it is important that CDC enables fast and efficient mobile delivery of CDC’s critical health information. To this end, we are announcing our first application (or “app”) for the Apple iPad platform.
To read the full press release and to download the app click here.
Google Helps Emergency Room Docs to Predict Flu Trends (posted: 1-19-12)
Google, the search-engine giant, may be able to help doctors anticipate when they’ll get a surge in the number of patients they see with flu symptoms.
That’s the new finding from a team of doctors, based in Baltimore, who relied on Google Flu Trends, a service that tracks the number of flu-related Internet searches by folks like you and me. In an article this month in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, those doctors, led by Dr. Richard Rothman, an emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine describe how data from Google Flu Trends stacked up against conventional systems to track the spread of flu.
Click here to continue reading
Telemedicine: Now it’s a must (Posted: 1-10-12)
Driven by a desire to improve the quality of and access to care, health systems both large and small are tapping into the power of telemedicine at a feverish pace.
But clinical considerations aren’t the only market forces driving adoption. Supply-and-demand economics, the utility and reliability of new wireless devices and cost pressures are also significant factors.
To read the full article click here
Announcing a New Grant Opportunity for NRTRC Members
The NRTRC is proud to announce a new grant opportunity for special projects available to all it’s members. Grant awards will be up to $10,000. Deadline to apply is February 3rd! Click on the links below to learn more:
For infomation on becoming a member of the NRTRC contact Tom Brewer at tom@nrtrc.org or fill out the membership form.
USDA grants to support telemedicine in rural areas
Thirty-four states will receive more than $30 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture to improve access to healthcare and educational services in rural areas.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the funding from USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program on Dec. 8. Click Here to read the full article. Click here to view the awardees listing by state.
Real doctors, onscreen: VA program makes online house calls on vets (posted: 12-1-11)
A new pilot program will allow veterans in the Midwest to access behavioral health, oncology and post-operative care services wherever they have Web access. Using telehealth technology — a combination of streaming video, e-mail and text applications — the system is designed to help veterans in geographically remote areas or with mobility issues to conveniently contact clinicians and support services. Click here to read the whole story.
Three New Telehealth Resource Centers to Launch (posted: 11-10-11)
Three organizations are receiving grants of up to $1 million apiece to help expand the nation’s network of telehealth resource centers.
In September, the U.S Health Resource and Services Administration awarded Regional Telehealth Resource Center grants to groups based in Maine, Virginia and Indiana, with the goal to expand the network of centers that now covers the nation like an incomplete quilt.
Read the whole article
Survey finds nurses are both mobile, social (posted: 11-7-11)
The nursing community is embracing mobile health devices and social media tools at a high level, according to a new survey.
The survey was conducted by Springer Publishing Company, which polled more than 1,000 nurses – the majority of which were nurse educators holding advanced nursing degrees – on their ownership and usage of mobile devices, their preferences for nursing and medical apps, and their social media use.
Click here to read the full article
Grande Ronde Hospital Honored for their Telemedicine Program
Grande Ronde Hospital Wins ECRI Institute’s 2011 Health Devices Achievement Award
ECRI Institute recognizes rural critical access hospital in Oregon for excellence in health technology management and patient safety. To read the article click here
(posted: 10-20-11)
Polycom Brings Video Meetings to iPad and Android Tablets (posted: 10/12/11)
Mobile is the new frontier of videoconferencing, with several vendors bringing mobile devices into the fold for video meetings. Polycom is set to become the latest, with high-definition calling capability on the Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom and Galaxy Tab. Click here to read the full article from Networkworld.com
Social Media Toolkit for Nurses (posted: 10-10-11)
ANA: American Nurses Association just put out a guide for the use of social media by nurses. To check out the whole toolkit click here
NRTRC Newsletter: September/October Edition
The latest edition of the NRTRC Newsletter is now available. Click hereto read some great articles on credentialing and Privileging, VA assisting rural vets with telehealthclinics and latest grant opportunities.
New Grant Opportunities (Posted: 9-27-11)
List of Grant Opportunities
Social Media in Telehealth Toolkit Now Available!
The new toolkit Social Media in Telehealth has now been added to our website. You can find this and other toolkits by going to the Education tab then clicking on Toolkits or you can just click here. There will be more resources being added to the Social Media inTelehealth Toolkit in the next week so come back and take a look.
Newsletter Satisfaction Survey:
The NRTRC newsletter staff would like to know your thoughts about the newsletter. We have designed this very simple survey for you to use to provide us with your feedback. It will take less than five minutes and will allow us to better serve you in the future.
Thank you for your help!
Cathy Britain, Editor
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRTRCNewsletter
NRTRC Member in the News: Billings Clinic (posted: 8-3-11)
These days, we can do everything on the computer from buying to dating to doctors appointments. Doctors say telemedicine is helping patients visit far away physicians.
Click here to read full article and watch video
Telehealth Services: Rural Health Fact Sheet (posted: 7-25-11)
The Medicare learning Network has released a Telehealth Services Rural Health Fact Sheet (find it here) that contains information on originating sites, distant site practitioners, telehealth services (including CPT Codes), billing and payment for professional sercies furnished via telehealth as well as for the originating site facility fee and a list of helpful websites.
Information provided by NRTRC member Northwest TeleHealth http://nwtelehealth.org
ATA Criticizes FCC for Inaction, Poor Administration of Rural HealthcareProgram (posted: 7/14/11)
This week, the American Telemedicine Association submitted the following letter to Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, regarding the FCC’s continued mismanagement of the Universal Service Support Mechanism for Rural Healthcare.
Click Here to read the letter
ATA Criticizes FCC for Inaction, Poor Administration of Rural Healthcare Program (posted: 7/14/11)
This week, the American Telemedicine Association submitted the following letter to Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, regarding the FCC’s continued mismanagement of the Universal Service Support Mechanism for Rural Healthcare.
* * * Start Letter * * *
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
In the Matter of:
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
Regarding the Universal Service Support Mechanism
For Rural Healthcare
(WC Docket No. 02-60)
Mr. Chairman:
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the FCC’s proposed rulemaking regarding the flawed Universal Support Mechanism for Rural Healthcare. Also, it has now been sixteen months since the Commission adopted the National Broadband Plan which included an entire chapter on healthcare policy proposals. Finally, eight months ago, the General Accounting Office issued a report sharply criticizing the Commission’s management of the Rural Health Care Program.
Despite the promises, the rhetoric and the official criticism, a great silence has settled over the Commission regarding these issues. Now, we also note the departure of every key professional staff from the Commission involved in healthcare policy. It is deeply troubling to see that the Commission is allotting practically no resources with no apparent plans to address the proposed rulemaking, the approved Broadband Plan or to respond to the GAO report.
This delay has not been without consequence. Despite the Commission’s stated goal to provide up to $400 million annually in support of telecommunications to improve healthcare delivery, only about $80 million will be spent this year (outside of a one-time pilot program commitment). Thus, the Commission annually leaves over $300 million in funds that could be used immediately to help improve Americans’ access to health services and help reduce the cost of healthcare. With the crisis America faces in healthcare, the Commission’s failure to take action is disturbing.
Over the past three years ATA has repeatedly asked the Commission to make changes in the Rural Healthcare program. We have submitted numerous comments in the proceeding and have publically supported the proposals in the Commissions’ Broadband Plan. We are now making this plea for the FCC to reach a decision in these matters quickly and to implement the approved changes without further delay.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Linkous
Chief Executive Officer
American Telemedicine Association
* * * End Letter * * *
Announcing Telehealth Coordinator & Program Manager Certification Courses
AFHCAN and the Universit of Alaska have partnered to create and offer, nationwide, an online telehealth workforce training certification program! Click here to read more
Announcing an on-line course for Telehealth Nurse Presenters (posted 6-14-11)
This online continuing education course teaches essential knowledge about the role of thetelehealth nurse presenter. The course includes information about current telemedicineand telehealth practice as well as future directions. Key information about telehealthequipment, preparing and conducting a telehealth visit, and continuity of care following atelehealth visit are addressed. This course is awarded 19.8 American Nurses Credentialing Center contact hours or 24 Minnesota Board of Nursing contact hours. Registration fee is $594, register online today! Downloada course flyer. This course is co-presented by: University of Minnesota School of Nursing and Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center.
Malpractice Concerns Associated with Mobile Healthcare: Fierce Mobile Interview (posted 6-1-11)
While both smartphones and their apps are evolving at an exponential rate, medical malpractice case law simply is not.
Without significant precedent-setting cases in this area, the legal risk is more than a bit uncertain, and may be for some time to come.
Click here to read the interview with Joseph McMenamin
Health Care in the Rural West: Persistent Problems, Glimmers of Hope (Posted: 5-23-11)
Fearing a loss of agricultural productivity and rural community, Teddy Roosevelt formed the Country Life Commission in 1908 to investigate why the social and intellectual, as well as economic, aspects of country life were not keeping pace with city life. Of the six “deficiencies of country life” highlighted by the commission, “health in the open country” featured prominently. The report emphasized issues such as differential access to doctors, numbers of physicians per capita, and costs of rural health care, and all remain contemporary concerns. The Commission’s call for “increasing the powers of the Federal Government in respect to the supervision and control of the public health” could be pulled straight from today’s health care debates.
Click here to continue reading
UPMC “Virtual Exam Room” allows patients access to multiple docs at once
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is looking to turn the telehealth model on its head. Developers at the hospital are creating a multi-channel telehealth platform as a “virtual exam room” that would allow multiple caregivers to communicate with the patient at one time.
FierceMobileHealthcare recently spoke with Mark Volovic, UPMC’s IS director, for some insight into the new program and how it will evolve over the next two years.
“In traditional telehealth, historically it has been a point-to-point visit. I call the patient and we have a session together,” Volovic said. With the new platform, “the patient will dial into a virtual ‘room’ where he or she will be greeted. The greeter will then connect the patient to the doctor, the nurse or the specialists, who will have access to the patient’s electronic record at the same time.”
To read more click here
MEDICARE FINALIZES A NEW RULE FOR TELEMEDICINE SERVICES TO KEEP BENEFICIARIES IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS DIALED IN THROUGH TELEMEDICINE (posted: 5-4-11)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that it has finalized a rule for telemedicine services to ensure that patients in rural or remote areas will continue to receive the most cutting-edge medical care from many of their local hospitals.
The final rule changes the process that hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAH) can use for credentialing and granting privileges to physicians and practitioners who deliver care through telemedicine. Specifically, the rule simplifies how hospitals and CAHs partner with hospitals and non-hospital telemedicine entities (such as teleradiology facilities) to deliver care to their patients. The streamlined process will be particularly beneficial to patients of small hospitals and CAHs in rural or remote areas that may lack staff or resources to deliver specialized clinical expertise to their patient populations. To continue reading
The new CMS regulations for accountable care organizations have been released for comment. Anyone wishing to do so must submit comments by 5pm on June 6th. These regulations have to do with “possible waivers of the application of the Physician Self-Referral Law, the Federal anti-kickback statute, and certain civil monetary penalties (CMP) law provisions to specific financial arrangements involving accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare Shared Savings Program.”
If you are interested in reading the notice it is located on the reimbursement page of our website. http://www.nrtrc.org/reimbursement/
Telehealth is quality healthcare for anyone, anywhere and anytime!
Posted: Jan. 18, 2011
Telehealth4us is a web-based coalition to show widespread support for expanding telehealth coverage for all Americans.
After 50 years of demonstrations and research and over 10,000 studies published on the impact of telehealth (also called telemedicine), there is widespread agreement on its many proven benefits, notably its ability to save lives and money while increasing access to care. Patients like it, it improves care and it expands access. Moreover, it can reduce costs. In short, telemedicine can have a widespread and transforming impact on the cost, quality, delivery, and outcomes for health care in America.
Click here to read more and sign the petition
Marshfield Clinic Saves Medicare $83M (posted 12-23-10)
The Marshfield Clinic has reportedly saved Medicare $83 million over four years through its participation in a demonstration project on providing quality care.
The clinic system provides patient care, research and education at 52 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin, making it one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States. It is one of 10 large physician groups taking part in the Medicare project.
Click here to read more…
The Impact of Telehealth on Wait Time for ENT Speciality Care
Audiology in rural Alaska has changed dramatically in the past 6 years by integrating store and forward telemedicine into routine practice. The Audiology Department at the Norton Sound Health Corporation in rural Nome Alaska has used store-and-forward telemedicine since 2002. Between 2002 and 2007, over 3,000 direct audiology consultations with the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Department at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage were completed. This study is a 16-year retrospective analysis of ENT specialty clinic wait times on all new patient referrals made by the Norton Sound Health Corporation providers before (1992–2001)…
Click here to read more….
Text Messages Encourage Prenatal Care
Posted: Dec. 10, 2010
A text messaging program funded by Partners HealthCare has been successful in encouraging pregnant women in Lynn to get the proper amount of pre-natal care. In a pilot program (funded in part by Partners Community Benefits and the Verizon Foundation), Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) and Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health enrolled 25 pregnant women in a program which offered informational and supportive text messages throughout their pregnancies and two months post-partum.
Click here to read more…
CMS issues FAQ on ED patients and ‘meaningful use’
he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has posted a revised Frequently Asked Question document to its website providing hospitals with a choice of which emergency department patients to consider when demonstrating that they have met the “meaningful use” requirements of the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive programs. Posted: Dec. 6, 2010
Click here to read more…
The Impact of Telehealth on Wait Time for ENT Speciality Care
Audiology in rural Alaska has changed dramatically in the past 6 years by integrating store and forward telemedicine into routine practice. The Audiology Department at the Norton Sound Health Corporation in rural Nome Alaska has used store-and-forward telemedicine since 2002. Between 2002 and 2007, over 3,000 direct audiology consultations with the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Department at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage were completed. This study is a 16-year retrospective analysis of ENT specialty clinic wait times on all new patient referrals made by the Norton Sound Health Corporation providers before (1992–2001) and after the initiation of telemedicine (2002–2007). Prior to use of telemedicine by audiology and ENT, 47% of new patient referrals would wait 5 months or longer to obtain an in-person ENT appointment; this dropped to 8% of all patients in the first 3 years with telemedicine and then less than 3% of all patients in next 3 years using telemedicine. The average wait time during the first 3 years using telemedicine was 2.9 months, a 31% drop compared with the average wait time of 4.2 months for the preceding years without telemedicine. The wait time then dropped to an average of 2.1 months during the next 3 years of telemedicine, a further drop of 28% compared with the first 3 years of telemedicine usage.
Click here to read more….
Encouraging Prenatal Care
A text messaging program funded by Partners HealthCare has been successful in encouraging pregnant women in Lynn to get the proper amount of pre-natal care. In a pilot program (funded in part by Partners Community Benefits and the Verizon Foundation), Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) and Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health enrolled 25 pregnant women in a program which offered informational and supportive text messages throughout their pregnancies and two months post-partum.
Click here to read more…
CMS Update: Dec. 6, 2010
CMS issues FAQ on ED patients and ‘meaningful use’
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has posted a revised Frequently Asked Question document to its website providing hospitals with a choice of which emergency department patients to consider when demonstrating that they have met the “meaningful use” requirements of the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive programs. To receive incentive payments and avoid future payment penalties, hospitals must meet a number of metrics, many of which include both inpatient and ED patients in the denominator, such as the share of patients with medications ordered electronically. CMS’ decision to provide a choice in which ED patients to consider recognizes that some hospitals prioritized EHR adoption in their EDs, while others focused first on deployments in their inpatient departments. The first option outlined in the revised FAQ – the “Observation Services method” – is consistent with previous guidance and includes patients admitted directly to inpatient departments, patients presenting to the ED and subsequently admitted, and patients treated in the ED and provided observation services. The new option – the “All ED Visits method” – includes those patients plus patients treated and discharged directly from the ED. The revision responds to feedback from hospitals that the earlier guidance was unclear about which observation services can be counted and that a “plain language reading” of the final rule would allow all ED services to be counted. According to the FAQ, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals must select one of these two methods for calculating their meaningful use metrics and use the same method for all metrics that apply to both inpatient and ED patients. The two methods are described in the FAQ on CMS’ website. “CMS’ clarification offers hospitals some flexibility in determining how to account for ED patients,” said Chantal Worzala, AHA director of Policy. “This will benefit hospitals as they seek to qualify as meaningful users.”
At the Crossroads: NRTRC White Paper Examines Trends Driving the Convergence of Telehealth, EHRs and HIE
Posted: June 15, 2010
The Crossroads of Telehealth, Electronic Health Records & Health Information Exchange Planning for Rural Communities
Please “click here” for more.
Mission Critical Telemedicine in the ICU
May 27, 2010 
For the record magazine / Mission Critical – Telemedicine in the ICU Please “click here” for more.
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