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Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Jul 25, 2024 - Pre-publication notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcing the reorganization of the role and function of the Assistant Secretary for Administration. This reorganization moves technology and data policy and strategy functions from the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), including moving the Office of the Chief Data Officer, Office of the Chief AI Officer, and a newly recreated Chief Technology Officer.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 24, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) that seeks to advance interoperability, improve transparency, and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information. This rule proposes establishing a new baseline version of the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) and updating the ONC Health IT Certification Program to enhance interoperability and optimize certification processes. The proposed rule would also implement certain provisions related to the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which would support the reliability, privacy, security, and trust within TEFCA. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for August 5, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 11, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed calendar year 2025 physician fee schedule rule includes new payments and coverage for digital health and telehealth services. The draft rule contains significant provisions for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers and gives opioid treatment programs more flexibility in their use of telehealth services.
Source: Fierce Healthcare
Jul 10, 2024 - A new telehealth study done by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Connected Nation Michigan provides insights into how tribal members use telehealth, what barriers exist, and attitudes toward telehealth. The study identifies ways tribal health clinics can expand telehealth efforts, identifies unmet demand, and addresses concerns that may prevent tribe members from adopting telehealth services.
Source: Connected Nation
Jul 2, 2024 - A policy brief from the National Rural Health Association notes that cyberattacks at healthcare facilities have increased more than 125% since 2023. Rural hospitals typically have an older IT infrastructure and inadequate IT staffing, which makes them particularly vulnerable. Microsoft and Google are offering free or discounted services to rural hospitals to help them prevent cyberattacks.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jul 1, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) implementing the provision of the 21st Century Cures Act specifying that a healthcare provider determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General to have committed information blocking shall be referred to the appropriate agency to be subject to appropriate disincentives. This rule also establishes disincentives for certain healthcare providers that have been determined to have committed information blocking. This rule is effective July 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 26, 2024 - Discusses Pennsylvania legislation which will require public and private insurers to cover telehealth services. Notes the importance of telehealth for ensuring access to healthcare services in rural Pennsylvania, where 15 hospitals have closed in the last 5 years.
Source: The Center Square
Jun 23, 2024 - Highlights the impacts of a tele-ICU program connecting patients and providers at Whitfield Regional Hospital in rural west Alabama to providers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Describes how the program has reduced the need to transport patients out of the community for care, which can strain rural families and complicate follow-up care.
Source: AL.com
Jun 17, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) regulations to implement changes related to required standards for electronic prescribing and adoption of health information technology (IT) standards for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use. Among other things, CMS will require Part D sponsors, prescribers, and dispensers of covered Part D drugs for eligible individuals to comply with standards CMS has either adopted directly or is requiring by cross-referencing ONC standards for electronically transmitting prescriptions and prescription-related information. These regulations are effective July 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 11, 2024 - Describes the use of virtual reality tools in telehealth to accommodate rural veterans, among others, in pain management.
Source: VA News
Last Updated: 7/25/2024