Telehealth News and Notes week of 8/27/2018
Welcome to the newest feature on the website. Here we will be providing a weekly round up of news and notes regarding implementation of telehealth services across the 50 states and beyond. In the past week, a few changes have been made allowing for increase utilization of telehealth in various areas.
- In a move to address the opioid abuse crisis, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed into law a bill requiring the state’s Medicaid program to cover behavioral and mental health services delivered by telehealth and telemedicine. See Full story here.
- “Trained or not, family doctors and pediatricians are on the front lines of mental health care” This article discusses the pcp or the pediatrician as the first line of defense in the mental health crisis. With less than adequate training, many Doctors are being forced to treat and help children and adults with a variety of possible mental health concerns. Through the use of telehealth software, a patient from the comfortable surroundings of his or her regular Doctor’s office can consult with a Psychiatrist to see of further treatment would be necessary. Adding telehealth services would be an inexpensive way to take the burden off of the PCPs or pediatricians and a Psychiatrist that markets his or her services to an office like this would be in high demand.
- How can we help our most vulnerable patients? Click here for more from “The Second Wave” in Michigan
Thank you! Check back for more next week from Secure Telehealth