Resources & Reports

In 2015 with funding from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and working with researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) began a study on the use of synchronous video to provide direct observational therapy (DOT) for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB).  In 2015/2016 CCHP published two issue briefs on the topic:

1. Using Telehealth for Directly Observed Therapy in Treating Tuberculosis
2. Challenges and Recommendations on Using Telehealth For Directly Observed Therapy in Treating Tuberculosis

In March, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology released a data brief entitled “Use of Telemedicine among Office-Based Physicians, 2021.”  The data brief uses information gathered from the National Electronic Health Record Survey to explore the trends in telemedicine usage by office-based physicians, including how it has evolved since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential implications.  The data brief provides a breakdown of the rates of office-based physician’s use of telemedicine, the types of telemedicine tools used, the characteristics of physicians using telemedicine, and physicians’ overall satisfaction with telemedicine.

As the first quarter of the year begins to wind down, now is a good time to check in on the state telehealth legislation that has been introduced thus far in 2023. For those who may not know, in addition to CCHP’s Policy Finder where we track existing state telehealth laws, regulations, and Medicaid policies, we also track pending legislation and regulations for the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  Bills are still being introduced in some states, so this is by no means definitive as to what the state legislative landscape will look like for the full year, however we are able to get a sense of what policy issues appear to be rising to the top in 2023.

CCHP’s March Newsletter is Here! This month’s topics include – DEA Proposes In-Person Requirement, Resumes with Narrow Telehealth Allowances after PHE; Top 4 Provider Medicare FAQs with PHE Ending Announcement and Updated CMS Policy Documents; Congressmembers Request Telehealth Parity Guidance from Department of Labor; Developments in CCHP’s Telehealth Policy Finder and Policy Trends Map; Social Work Licensure Compact; Launch of New Home Test to Treat COVID Program.

As we head closer to the public health emergency (PHE) end date of May 11, 2023, recent actions and releases by both Congress and federal agencies paint a clearer picture of what the post-PHE federal telehealth policy landscape will look like.  In December 2022 with the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (2023 CAA), several major federal telehealth policy questions were addressed.