TELEMEDICINE TALK
Episode 10: How Telehealth Can Help Bridge
Pediatric Mental Healthcare Gaps.
Telehealth can help providers expand access to much-needed pediatric mental health resources, but expansion must avoid common pitfalls that could inadvertently widen care gaps.
July 01, 2022 - The burgeoning mental health epidemic in America is widespread across age groups, but the youth have faced a particularly challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the youth mental health crisis reaches new heights, providers are increasingly turning to telehealth to help expand access to behavioral healthcare.
In December, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory calling for a coordinated response to combat the crisis. "Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide — and rates have increased over the past decade," said Murthy in a press release. "The COVID-19 pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating."
A 2020 survey of 1,000 parents around the country revealed that a majority (71 percent) believed the pandemic had negatively affected their child's mental health. Further, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that between March and October 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency department visits increased by 24 percent among kids aged 5 to 11 and 31 percent among adolescents aged 12 to 17 compared with 2019.
The tragedy of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, further highlights a need for expanded pediatric mental health services alongside gun safety measures. The recently passed bipartisan gun safety act includes provisions for expanding pediatric access to behavioral health, including through telehealth.
The article goes on to talk about (1) Telehealth Strategies To Close Care Gaps and (2) Key Considerations When Expanding Telehealth Access.
July 01, 2022 - The burgeoning mental health epidemic in America is widespread across age groups, but the youth have faced a particularly challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the youth mental health crisis reaches new heights, providers are increasingly turning to telehealth to help expand access to behavioral healthcare.
In December, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory calling for a coordinated response to combat the crisis. "Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide — and rates have increased over the past decade," said Murthy in a press release. "The COVID-19 pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating."
A 2020 survey of 1,000 parents around the country revealed that a majority (71 percent) believed the pandemic had negatively affected their child's mental health. Further, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that between March and October 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency department visits increased by 24 percent among kids aged 5 to 11 and 31 percent among adolescents aged 12 to 17 compared with 2019.
The tragedy of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, further highlights a need for expanded pediatric mental health services alongside gun safety measures. The recently passed bipartisan gun safety act includes provisions for expanding pediatric access to behavioral health, including through telehealth.
The article goes on to talk about (1) Telehealth Strategies To Close Care Gaps and (2) Key Considerations When Expanding Telehealth Access.
Episode 9: CDC Offers Law and Policy
Resources for Telehealth and Telemedicine.
Under the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Publication & Resources, they have a whole section devoted to Telehealth & Telemedicine called "Telehealth and Telemedicine: A Research Anthology of Law and Policy Resources." Under this tab, you will find information and resources on:Resources for Identification and Discussion of Barriers to Telehealth
This website is updated regularly and all linked articles/publications are vetted and from reputable sources. If you are working on telemedicine/telehealth in any capacity, you should check it out.
- Resources for Evidence of Cost and Health Outcomes Through the Use of Telehealth
- Resources for Telehealth Statutes and Regulations
- Resources for Recent Policy Recommendations
- Resources for Telehealth in Rural Areas
This website is updated regularly and all linked articles/publications are vetted and from reputable sources. If you are working on telemedicine/telehealth in any capacity, you should check it out.
Episode 8: HD CHW Program assists with
setting up and utilizing Telehealth Tech.
Are you struggling with setting up your technology to be able to utilize telehealth options from your provider? Are you a provider that provides telehealth options but have many patients that are uncomfortable using it?
HRHN’s HD CHW Program provides Community Health Workers to patients enrolled in our free program that can assist patients with setting up and using telehealth options from our provider partners and for remote specialists. As long as the patient lives in Hardee or DeSoto Counties, either the patient can contact us directly to enroll in our program and request assistance with telehealth or the provider can contact our HD CHW Program Coordinator to discuss best ways to address their patients’ telehealth needs and how HRHN can help.
We have many providers in our area that provide telehealth options but not many patients that engage those options. Let us help make the process easier, making seeking care easier for all. Just call our program today 863.494.8409. You can learn more about the HD CHW Program by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hdchwprogram.
HRHN’s HD CHW Program provides Community Health Workers to patients enrolled in our free program that can assist patients with setting up and using telehealth options from our provider partners and for remote specialists. As long as the patient lives in Hardee or DeSoto Counties, either the patient can contact us directly to enroll in our program and request assistance with telehealth or the provider can contact our HD CHW Program Coordinator to discuss best ways to address their patients’ telehealth needs and how HRHN can help.
We have many providers in our area that provide telehealth options but not many patients that engage those options. Let us help make the process easier, making seeking care easier for all. Just call our program today 863.494.8409. You can learn more about the HD CHW Program by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hdchwprogram.
Episode 7: Large Employers Launch
Telemedicine Program to Tackle Black Health
Disparities
Walmart is part of a group of large employers, including Target, Best Buy, Medtronic and State Farm that are spearheading a new initiative called the Black CommunityInnovation Coalition in partnership with Grand Rounds and Doctor on Demand. The new program will use Grand Rounds'health assistance platform to target outreach on specific health needs of African American workers. The goal is to create a culturally specific concierge service to engage workers of color on their health. The new initiative aims to begin offering targeted services in 2022. To learn more about this pilot program, click here.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
Episode 6: Pilot program teaches seniors to
use telehealth.
A pilot program in South Carolina is tackling the digital literacy divide with a program that teaches seniors how to use telehealth technology, equipping rural seniors with a tablet and free cellular service for up to a year. As the telehealth cliff looms, more than 400 health care and technology organizations are calling on Capitol Hill to eliminate arbitrary restrictions while helping FQHCs and critical access hospitals offer wider access to virtual care.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
Episode 5: Telemedicine program aims to teach
rural providers about transgender care.
A growing number of people are identifying as transgender or rejecting the gender binary. According to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, an estimated 1.4 million adults in the U.S. identify as transgender, almost double an estimate from roughly a decade earlier. Yet health care professionals, particularly those in rural areas, aren’t receiving adequate training in transgender care. In Colorado, the Extension for Community Health Outcomes is working to solve this problem by offering virtual, interactive classes on complex health issues, including gender-affirming care, to providers outside of major metropolitan areas.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
*Article provided by the National Rural Health Association.
Episode 4: Telemedicine curriculum creates a
family-centered experience
As part of its 2020 CARES Act Telehealth Award from HRSA, Family Voices National has created a telemedicine curriculum aimed at the essentials for a family-centered experience. The curriculum includes four webinars on connectivity, technology, how telemedicine works, and what to expect from the first virtual appointment.
Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau, is working to identify promising practices that enhance access to pediatric care via telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Submit your promising practices by Feb. 16.
Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau, is working to identify promising practices that enhance access to pediatric care via telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Submit your promising practices by Feb. 16.
Episode 3: Part 1 & 2
Telehealth Provider Survey
One of the goals of Heartland Rural Health Network is to create a public awareness telemedicine campaign. To that end, we need to identify the Telemedicine and Telehealth programs, platforms, and specialties being offered and utilized across our service area. As such, we are in the final stages of creating a Telehealth/Telemedicine Provider Survey that we will be sending out to all identified providers in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties. Please help us to ensure that these surveys are completed by the appropriate person so that we can start the process of helping to promote those Telehealth/Telemedicine services in our areas.
If you have any questions or to ensure your organization/practice gets a copy of the survey, please email support@hrhn.org. Once the survey is live, a link to it will be posted below.
If you have any questions or to ensure your organization/practice gets a copy of the survey, please email support@hrhn.org. Once the survey is live, a link to it will be posted below.
Episode 2:
Telemedicine during COVID-19
The American Academy of Family Physicians published and article on March 23, 2020 by Chris Crawford titled Inside Look at Using Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic. As we face times unlike we have seen in post of our lifetimes, we thought this article gave a good look at how Telemedicine is now being employed more than ever. At the link below, you will find a brief summary of the article as well as the link to view the article in its entirety.
Episode 1:
Telehealth Myths to Know
Becker’s Hospital Review published an article in 2018 (link can be found below) that went over the Top 6 telehealth myths that hospital executives should know. As we begin working toward developing a telehealth knowledge campaign, we thought this article could help us start. We have included a summary of what the article presents and added insight from us for rural community application of telehealth.