Lacey Hart, MBA, PMP – Program Manager for the SE MN Beacon Community, will address the challenges, benefits and results of multiple organizations pursuing shared healthcare objectives

John Goodman, MBA - Telemedicine Deep-Dive Project Lead, will discuss the telemedicine approach using integrated commercial technologies with lower cost and greater flexibility implemented in the SE MN Beacon Community. One of 17 areas nationwide selected for Beacon Community Program funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services out of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the Southeast Minnesota Beacon Community (www.semnbeacon.org) – a collaboration among Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Health System, Olmsted Medical Center, Winona Health, Allina Hospital Owatonna, and 11 county public health departments in the region – sought to fund health care entities looking for ways to use technology to improve the efficiency and delivery of health care while cutting costs.  

To join this webinar:
https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/sbtelehealth/

You can test your connection at:
https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm.
For an overview of Adobe Connect, go to:
http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

The TRC Webinar Series provides timely information and demonstrations to support and guide the development of your telehealth program by experienced telehealth professionals from the HRSA-designated Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs).

These webinars are FREE to the public on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

For more information on the Regional Telehealth Resource Centers click here.

-Educational Sessions including:  Reimbursement 101:  Learn How to Get Paid and Ceate Revenue for Your Telehealth Initiative; Mobile Health Innovations in Disease Management; FDA’s Role in Telemedicine; Innovative Telemedicine and Medical Information Exchange in Military Settings; Mobile Apps for Mental Health; Successes and Challenges Implementing Telemedicine in Private Practice; Policy Priorities; and Incorporating Telemedicine into Baccalaureate, Graduate and Medical School Education.

- A Keynote Speech by Steve Wozniak (Co-founder of Apple, Technology guru) on The Future of Personal Healthcare Technology.  Soundbite:  “I love the fact that telemedicine fits into this category of people trying to do good things for those that don’t have access. I love that.”

-One-on-one interviews and demonstrations with some of the most interesting technology representatives (videos to come).

-And a larger than life ATA Networking Event at the San Jose Tech Museum where guests were able to mix, mingle and discuss the conference while testing out the museum’s hands on technology and science exhibits.

The general theme of the ATA2012 conference has been this:  The next year is going be a transformational one for the healthcare industry and the adoption of Telemedicine.  We certainly agree, and are looking forward to assisting organizations in the Great Plains region as they navigate both.   
Interested in more information on organizations that have successfully adopted Telemedine programs?  Read these Telehealth Success Stories.

April 29, 2012. ATA 2012 Conference, San Jose, CA.

If you would like more information about setting up a telehealth program of any kind at your organization, you can check out these great resources in gpTRAC’s “Getting Started” section, or contact our experts for one-on-one advice at 888-239-7092.

-Morning ATA Institutional Council Meeting:  discussed ATA communications, Institutional member needs, Telemedicine Policy (update on what is happening in Washington), welcomed new Institutional Council leader Kristi Henderson.

-Afternoon round table forum for Institutional and Industry Members:  discussed how to build a better business case for telemedicine.  Questions posed by ATA included: From both the institution and industry perspective, what will it take to prove ROI?  What are the challenges and/or opportunities for growing telemedicine as an industry?  What are the key inhibitors to work flow for physicians practicing telemedicine today and what are the solutions people are using to mitigate these inhibitors?  What are the key metrics being used to measure the impact of telemedicine on healthcare?  What is missing from the telemedicine ecosystem today that would dramatically accelerate the adoption of telemedicine if it were addressed?  The group discussion was thought provoking and inspiring.

-Opening Plenary:  heard from ATA President Dr. Bernard Harris and VP Dr. Edward Brown.  Then came the ATA 2012 Annual Awards Ceremony, followed by a rousing talk on the usefulness of telemedicine by Dr. James “Butch” Rosser.

-A traditional Chinese dragon dance complete with symbols and drums led the way to the opening reception in the expo hall, where over 150 booths opened themselves for the first time to questioning by the conferences reported 4300 (!!) registered guests.  Imagine an indoor football stadium packed from wall to wall with products and organizations who’s goal it is to use telemedicine to improve patient care and delivery.  Impressive to say the least.

Tomorrow, day two day awaits.  With 41 concurrent educational sessions to attend, and the expo hall open from 9:45am to 6pm, there is no doubt that the excitement will only continue to grow and we are looking forward to it!

Whether you are attending ATA yourself, or following this year’s whirlwind event from home, gpTRAC wants you to know that we’ll be tracking the excitement and sharing it– right here– with all of you. Check back daily for updates on the exposition’s most useful information and highlights from the meeting’s most interesting presenters.  ATA 2012 is the world’s largest telemedicine, telehealth, and mhealth event with educational programs, over 170 exhibitors, and keynote speeches by some of the biggest innovators in technology and healthcare including Bernard Harris, President and CEO of Vesalius Ventures; Edward Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Telehealth Network; James Rosser, inventor and Professor of Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer; and A. Stewart Ferguson, Chief Information Officer of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Watch this short video with gpTRAC expert Zoi Hils for a more detailed explanation of when to use which!

For more videos that answer to the most commonly asked Telemedicine questions visit gpTRAC on YouTube here.

So the question is this:  how can we, in the healthcare field, demystify, clarify, and normalize telemedicine for patients and providers in the Great Plains region (and hopefully beyond)?

My advice is to begin by always defining what we are talking about when we use the word telemedicine, and I would like to offer a few definitions and resources to help.

The first is the Oxford English Dictionary, as many people’s choice for definitive information on the English language.  According to the OED Telemedicine is defined as: “the remote medical diagnosis and treatment of patients by means or with the aid of telecommunications technology, e.g. by use of the telephone or videoconferencing for consultation, remote-controlled robotic assistance in specialist surgery, etc.; this field of medicine[1].” The word itself is a combination of the Greek root Tel- meaning afar, or far off, and medicine.  The American Telemedicine Association is another great place to find clear and concise information on telemedicine, as demonstrated by their even simpler definition: “[Telemedicine is] the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients’ health status.” On our Introduction page, gpTRAC offers a comprehensive list of current telemedicine practices that can add tangible examples to either of the definitions above (and you can always contact us here for specific questions, which our experts will gladly help you answer!).  Additionally, Access Telehealth has an excellent FAQ section that covers both telemedine and telehealth.  Or for the more visually inclined, LearnTelehealth.org and the South Central Telehealth Resource Center put together this video tutorial:

There is a lot of good information out there on telemedicine, but it seems to me like the bridge between that information and the people it could be most useful for is rickety at best.  However, I think we can change that, and in my own life am trying to start by making telemedicine a topic of daily conversation with the people around me.  Do you have other definitions and resources to suggest?  If so, post them below and let us know!

[1] Oxford English Dictionary
Photo credit:  EmpowHER, http://www.empowher.com/media/reference/telemedicine-next-medical-frontier

In the story, Jenny Gold explores smartphone and tablet use in hospitals, focusing on Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where “mobile devices are just about everywhere.”

There are two main positions presented.  First: mobile technology makes physicians better.  Dr. Henry Feldman talks about how the technology speeds him up, and lets him complete more tasks at a patient’s bedside, without the need to return to a desktop.  He also references using an i-pad to take pictures during surgical procedures, then later sharing the photos with patients when they wake up.  (a progressive version of health education, which as a public health student, I absolutely love.)

The second position: mobile technology has its downside, and can be a distraction rather than an asset to doctors.  To illustrate the potential harm in this, Gold relays the story of a resident at a different hospital, who while using a smartphone to modify a drug order became distracted by a text message about a party, and never finished.  As the story goes, “this was no small mistake, and the patient almost died”.

The contrasting view points are interesting to hear, especially coming from physicians and staff within the same hospital.  The interview left me wondering; are the benefits of adopting smartphone technology worth the risk?  In my opinion, the answer is yes, but I do think it’s necessary to acknowledge the personal responsibility implicit in using a smartphone at work- and I think that this responsibility is elevated for health care providers.  Distractions are ever present, whether from technology or good old fashioned human interaction.  But when smartphones are used to increase efficiency, share more detailed information, and connect providers and patients to one another, in my opinion, they present unmatched capabilities for use in a healthcare setting.

Thoughts?  Opinions?  Let us know.  Post your comments below.
Also, to find the story on NPR’s website, click here:
Hospitals Warn Smartphones Could Distract Doctors

FAQ #1:  What services are payable by Minnesota Medicaid?

Answer:  The Minnesota Medicaid policy covers all telemedicine services delivered by a physician whose opinion or advice has been delivered at the request of another provider.  This includes services using live interactive video and store-and-forward.

FAQ #2:  What is required for reimbursement of telemedicine services by Minnesota Medicaid?

Answer:  There are two main requirements for reimbursement according to Minnesota Medicaid.  They are:

1.  The patient has to be located in an “Eligible Originating Site”  which includes:
-Provider’s office
-Hospital
-Critical Access Hospital
-Skill Nursing Facility
-Clinic
-Federally Qualified Health Center
-Community Mental Health Center
-Renal Dialysis Center

2.    The services have to be provided by an “eligible provider” as defined by Minnesota Medicaid.  For mental health services, all enrollable mental healthcare professionals are considered “eligible providers” for reimbursement.  For non-mental health services, only a specialty physician and oral surgeon are considered “eligible providers” for reimbursement.

Also of note:  Minnesota Medicaid reimbursement for telemedicine services does not differentiate between rural and urban settings, which means the patient can be located at a rural or urban facility.

Click here to link to gpTRAC’s YouTube channel, and check back often for more frequently asked questions about telemedicine in the Great Plains Region!
Telemed Q&A with Zoi Hills on MN Medicaid Reimbursement

Over the last two years, this goal has led our blog contributors through a wide range of topics including: telemedicine legislation, applications, ATA standards and guidelines, technologies, rural health, health care reform, national conferences, and current events- just to name a few.

My name is Haley.  As a new member of the gpTRAC team, and now primary author of the gpTRAC blog, I hope to share with you topics you can use in the coming weeks and month.  Here is an idea of what you can expect:

We will continue to follow innovation.  What are the latest technologies and best practices?  Where is telemedicine headed?  How can you, as providers/clininicians/payors/employers/patients/legislators/schools/home health and long term care facilities, catch the wave and benefit from adopting telemedicine programs?

We’ll also look at current uses of telemedicine.  Who is using telemedicine in the Great Plains region?  Or elsewhere in the world for that matter.  And in what form?  How well are they working?

Lastly, keeping with the ancient wisdom of “you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you have been,” you can expect a few briefs on the history of telemedicine mixed in:  where did it come from?  Who were the early adopters?  What did early forms of telemedicine look like?  And most importantly, why does it matter to you?

I am excited about the future of telemedicine.  I see potential applications everywhere, and unrealized benefits for doctors and patients alike.  My goal is to make this your go-to source for information and advice on everything telehealth.  So if you have questions about telemedicine, ask us!  If there is a topic you would like to know more about, let us know!  If you have a story you want to share, go for it!  Post your thoughts and comments below, and we look forward to hearing from you!