AHRQ https://www.ahrq.gov recently spotlighted Telehealth in their Digital Healthcare Research Annual Report. The report emphasizes the need to update technology in rural healthcare organizations.
The report discusses how to train physicians and how to advance practice providers and other members of the healthcare profession on how to conduct telehealth appointments.
AHRQ’s Digital Healthcare Research supports:
- Assessing whether asynchronous and synchronous telepsychiatry improves health outcomes in skilled nursing facilities
- Examining patient clinical concerns and access measures associated with the choice of a telemedicine encounter as compared with in-person encounters
- Adapting an existing mobile application for asthma and COVID-19 symptom monitoring using patient reported outcomes
There are still unanswered questions on the impact and unintended consequences of using these technologies. Even though telehealth has become more mainstream during the pandemic, challenges still persist.
For instance, in areas without broadband, accessibility for people with disabilities and older adults living in areas continue to be challenged with the use of telehealth. Also, there is still uncertainty how using telehealth will affect insurers’ and hospitals’ bottom lines over time to deliver equal telehealth access for all.
Newly funded AHRQ research includes:
- Assessing the validity and timeliness of telehealth information for prospective public health surveillance
- Evaluating four different telehealth models to provide insight on how to increase capacity in future public health crises
Telehealth and other technologies use Patient-Generated Health Data (PCHD. Many in the U.S. by using new technologies during the pandemic, several studies have reflected early indications of both successful PGHD collection and integration.
AHRQ’s research on telehealth and other new technologies that allow for collection and use of PGHD continues to broaden the research and medical community’s understanding of training, mentoring, diagnosis, and available treatment opportunities.
The report points out that it is critical that policymakers, health systems professionals, and caregivers understand not only the benefits of telehealth and telemonitoring via PGHD, but also the enormous impact that may result from their expansion.
Go to https://digital.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/page/ahrq-dhr-annual-report-2021.pdf for the Digital Healthcare Research Annual Report titled Improving Healthcare through AHRQ’s Digital Healthcare Research Program.