This week, Wheel rolled out a new AI-powered platform designed to provide patients with more holistic and seamless virtual care journeys. The platform, called Horizon, aims to help the startup’s customers rapidly scale virtual care programs to meet growing patient demand.

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Centivo, a health plan that sells to self-funded employers, acquired virtual-first primary care startup Eden Health. With this acquisition, Centivo now serves more than 160 employers in all 50 states.

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This year has been a messy one for virtual care companies, but that doesn’t mean that telehealth is dead, according to Eve Cunningham, Providence’s chief of virtual care and digital health. In her view, virtual care can definitely still be an important part of the care delivery model — but only if it is embedded into the greater healthcare delivery ecosystem.

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No matter what form they take, one thing is clear — there is an urgent demand for digital primary care providers to guide patient navigation in the digital health era.

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There is a growing urgency for alternative solutions that support consumers where they are, and this is where the promise of digital health can be transformative. 

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Optum is shutting down its virtual care unit after a three-year run. Industry experts agree that the closure reflects broader trends in the telehealth market, in which saturation and differentiation challenges are leading some providers to struggle.

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The key is having a holistic approach that identifies the top two or three critical issues and tailors the primary care solution to address those needs.

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In vulnerable moments when employees need it most, virtual specialty care delivers a human connection that offers empathy, support, and guidance.

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Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic pushed telehealth to the forefront of American healthcare modalities, the genie has emerged from the lamp to quite a mixed crowd of cheerleaders and cheaters.

The post Healthcare Docket: The Telehealth Boom is Inciting Action by Lawmakers and Fraudsters Alike appeared first on MedCity News.

This technology can result in reduced readmission rates, increased patient satisfaction, and a consistent flow of post-acute care revenue, especially in rural areas.

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With its new partnerships, Wheel is able to connect its customers’ patients with mental health services through Talkspace, home delivery pharmacy services through Cost Plus Drugs and lab and diagnostic services through Health Gorilla.

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With the PTC model, providers can remain independent, continue “driving the bus,” generate revenue for their practice, treat more patients virtually and scale their practice like never before.

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Telehealth is poised to serve as an essential tool to fill an exploding demand for care. Providers and digital health companies need to act now by expanding telehealth offerings that include on-demand care teams knowledgeable and experienced in GLP-1 drugs, but also overall health and wellness strategies.

The post Disruption from Weight Loss Drugs Has Only Scratched the Surface. Telehealth Can Help Overcome the Next Big Obstacle appeared first on MedCity News.

Amazon launched a new initiative to help connect people to digital health benefits that they may not know are available to them. Omada Health is its first partner. CEO Sean Duffy said his company stood out from the many other virtual diabetes care companies out there because about 20 million Americans — many of whom shop on Amazon — are eligible for Omada’s programs.

The post Why Omada’s CEO Thinks Amazon Selected His Startup as the 1st Partner for Its New Program appeared first on MedCity News.

A recent peer-reviewed study from Maven Clinic found that virtual doulas significantly reduced the chances of a C-section, especially among Black mothers.

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By prioritizing patient care and adapting our business models to meet the demands of our patients, we can ensure that the telehealth industry continues to provide meaningful and lasting benefits to all those who need it.

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As we navigate the complex terrain of virtual care integration, it is imperative to recognize the significance of payers as catalysts for change. By addressing the technological, procedural, and regulatory roadblocks head-on, payers can position themselves as champions of innovation and value

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Notwithstanding the end of PHEs and corresponding loss in many waivers and policies that allowed for increased telehealth adoption during the pandemic, the recent actions of state governments and private payers indicate that interest in telehealth remains strong.

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While some people question how virtual care can be effective without physical touch, it is clear that in-person appointments are not frequently delivering on developing a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s need and holistic health.

The post Beyond the Bedside: Strengthening Patient-Physician Bonds Through Virtual Care appeared first on MedCity News.

Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston struck a new partnership with Midi Health, a virtual care clinic focused exclusively on women who are navigating menopause. The health system’s two main goals for the partnership are to provide another point of access for its patients to manage their health at home and to gather data to inform decisions about which services it should offer to meet women’s healthcare needs.

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At the HLTH conference last week, MedCity News’ editorial team interviewed 11 health leaders from a variety of organizations to get a sense of which areas within healthcare will see consolidation over the next 12 months.

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Telehealth Academy III, a conference exploring the virtual care delivery landscape, will be one of the highlights of an inaugural week of events organized in the healthcare provider hub of Nashville, referred to as Nashville Healthcare Sessions.

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New York City-based Hey Jane, a virtual abortion provider, announced last week that it is now offering vaginal infections treatment. This includes treatment for urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis and herpes. It is also offering birth control and emergency contraception.

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This week, virtual care company Babylon Health permanently closed its U.S. operations and laid off 94 employees. The news came after the company’s rescue merger fell apart — Babylon had planned to go private through a deal with Swiss digital therapeutics firm MindMaze and Babylon creditor AlbaCore Capital.

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Geisinger is launching a pilot program in partnership with virtual heart failure monitoring startup Bodyport. About 200 of the health system’s heart failure patients will be using Bodyport’s cardiac scale at home — the scale uses sensors to measure a person’s metrics of heart function and body fluid status after they stand on it for about 20 seconds.

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Virtual care company TytoCare recently raised $49 million in growth financing, taking its total funding to date to $205 million. CEO Dedi Gilad declared that his company was founded to solve a fundamental problem with traditional telehealth services: people do not trust them, so they do not use them.

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An Epic Research study found that 16 out of 24 specialties had higher follow-up rates within 90 days of an initial office visit than a telehealth visit. This includes mental health, physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine, which all had a more than 20% higher follow-up rate after an in-person office appointment than a telehealth appointment.

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To fully reap the benefits of telemedicine, it is crucial to provide comprehensive education to both staff and patients. Clinicians, doctors, and other medical care providers should all be trained on telehealth software — its functionality, integration into their workflow, effective communication during consultations, and where to seek technical assistance.

The post How Telemedicine Can Combat Clinician Burnout, the Biggest Challenge Facing the Healthcare Industry appeared first on MedCity News.

Most patients prefer in-person care to virtual, according to a recent report. This finding should drive health systems to refine their telehealth experiences — they should determine which type of visits are best-suited for the modality, and they should ensure their virtual care environments adopt a more human-centric design.

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In a series of interviews, two Teladoc Health physicians and a therapist offered a window into a day in the life of delivering virtual care.

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