Telehealth News Recap - Apr 2024

Keeping up with the latest news in the virtual care space is challenging. Wheel's Virtual Care News is a monthly newsletter for stakeholders in the digital health industry. As a subscriber, you'll receive timely information on trending news, regulatory updates, engaging conversations, and key innovations emerging in the space

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Explore the latest virtual care trends, insights, and innovations in April's Virtual Care News roundup.

As always, we've got you covered with the latest scoop in payer, retailer, provider, and health tech news. Here are some highlights:

• 🆕 Insights from Rock Health’s 2023 Consumer Adoption of Digital Health Survey
• ♀️ Key Takeaways from Delloite’s Report on Digital Tools and the Maternal Health Ecosystem
• 🤖10 Things You Can Definitely Expect for the Future of Healthcare AI

Read time: 9 minutes

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🛞 Wheel News

Meet Wheel @ Becker’s Spring Payer Issues Roundtable

We’re excited to attend Becker’s Spring Payer Issues Roundtable in Chicago next week! Our team will be there, and we’re excited to connect with payer industry leaders looking to deliver next-gen virtual care to their members. Schedule a meeting with us and learn how Wheel can help lower costs, manage care gaps, and reduce the risk profile for key populations.

Wheel >

SXSW 2024: Local Solutions, National Impact: Reimagining Healthcare

The Wheel team had a great time at SXSW in Austin last month! In the picture above, our CEO Michelle Davey joined John Driscoll from Walgreens Boots Alliance, Kristen Valdes from b.well Connected Health, and Dr. Rishi Sikka, M.D. from VillageMD for a panel discussion on reimagining healthcare solutions from a local perspective.

The discussion highlighted the critical role technology will play in reshaping care from both local and national perspectives. If you missed it, watch the recording and stay tuned for future events where we will continue to explore innovative virtual care applications.

Wheel >

Wheel Supports the Launch of Versalie — A Menopause Care Platform

Wheel is proud to support the launch of Versalie, a new digital destination for people on their menopause journey.

​​Versalie is a virtual menopause care destination that aims to help women confidently speak about their menopause experience to get the support they need. The platform provides virtual care services with VersalieCare powered by Wheel, expert-reviewed content, and a curated storefront of products all in one place.

The roles of life sciences and consumer health companies are evolving as brands expand their reach and directly connect consumers to elevated healthcare experiences like Versalie. We're excited to support initiatives like this, especially in a traditionally under-supported area like menopause care.

Kenvue >

Webinar Recap: Key Virtual Care Trends with Amazon Clinic

How will AI and machine learning shape healthcare’s transformation? Who will be the go-to healthcare provider in 2030? How can we increase healthcare access for older Americans?

Wheel and Amazon Clinic joined forces in a recent webinar to explore these trends and patterns shaping the virtual care industry and predict what’s coming in 2024 and beyond. ICYMI – we pulled all the key takeaways together in this webinar recap featuring video highlights from the event.

Wheel >

📊Trends & Insights

The New Era of Consumer Engagement: Insights from Rock Health’s Ninth Annual Consumer Adoption Survey

According to Rock Health’s latest Consumer Adoption of Digital Health Survey, overall adoption of digital health has remained steady over the past several years, and recent utilization is high among virtual care users. Consumers familiar with digital health options are also becoming more selective about how they engage with virtual care. This is indicated by changes in preferences for virtual care based on care needs and a greater reluctance to share health data.

In this article, Rock Health expands on these four key findings from their latest study:

1. Virtual care is now a ubiquitous part of the modern healthcare paradigm
2. Consumers are drawn to virtual care’s convenience, but innovators will need to invest in additional value drivers to stay competitive
3. Consumers are familiar with at-home COVID-19 diagnostic testing, but adoption hasn’t yet translated to other test types
4. Though consumers are willing to share their health data, they’re becoming more discriminating about whom they’re willing to share data with

Rock Health >

What ‘Digital Transformation’ Means to 3 Health System Execs

Digital transformation is a long-standing goal for the healthcare industry, but what exactly does it entail? During a panel at HIMSS 2024 last month, three health system leaders shared their insights on healthcare's digital transformation and how it's unfolding at their organizations.

Austin Park, CTO at LCMC Health in New Orleans, emphasized the importance of harnessing the power of the massive amounts of data collected at health systems. Beth Falder, AVP of Data Analytics at Nuvance Health, highlighted the ongoing task of migrating data to the cloud. Lastly, Melek Somai, CTO at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network, underscored the need to maintain agility and a spirit of exploration when implementing new technologies.

MedCity News >

🤔 First Opinions & Engaging Conversations

Inside CVS Health’s Push to Transform Customer Experience

In 2021, CVS Health committed to becoming one of the most consumer-focused organizations in the healthcare sector. Now, three years later, after a few major acquisitions, the company has transformed from a retailer to a care delivery hub. In this article, the company spoke with Healthcare Dive to delve deep into the key initiatives and strategies that bolstered this transformation.

HealthCare Dive >

⚖️ Policy & Regulatory Updates

Tech, AI Feature in New White House Order to Advance Women’s Health Research

Last month, the White House issued an executive order pressing federal agencies to expand and prioritize research on women’s health, aiming to address long-standing gaps in knowledge and funding. During a keynote speech at an Amazon Web Services event, First Lady Jill Biden emphasized the importance of leveraging technology like artificial intelligence to advance this research.

The order directs federal agencies to strengthen scientific and data standards, prioritize funding for women's health research, and focus on filling gaps in midlife health research. Investments in AI research are expected to contribute significantly to understanding and addressing women's health issues, with initiatives such as the National Institutes of Health's effort to close research gaps and President Biden's call for a $12 billion Fund for Women's Health Research.

NextGov >

Momentum Behind Hospital-at-Home Continues to Grow, But Proponents Say Congress Needs to Act to Fuel More Investment

The future of hospital-at-home programs, which thousands of patients depend on daily, hangs in the balance as we await legislative action this year. The CMS waiver that enables these programs is set to expire at the end of 2024. Over 50 healthcare leaders, including the American Medical Association and the American Telemedicine Association, major health systems like Geisinger and Mass General Brigham, and tech-enabled companies, have written a letter to congressional leaders urging at least a five-year extension to the CMS waiver.

Fierce Healthcare >

✨ Growth & Innovation

Addressing Maternal Health Inequity in America

A new report from Deloitte highlights how digital tools can improve access to maternal care but identifies gaps in cultural competency and affordability. Despite the widespread use of digital tools in healthcare, Black, mixed-race, and Hispanic respondents report that these tools often do not meet their cultural needs.

The extensive report recommends integrating equity, data, privacy, and trust considerations into tech development, diversifying data sources, and involving patients in design. Collaboration across sectors will also be essential to address maternal health disparities, particularly for Black women, who face three times higher risks of pregnancy-related causes than white women. Despite challenges, there's optimism that digital tools can play a pivotal role in transforming maternal healthcare.

Deloitte >

10 Things You Can Definitely Expect for the Future of Healthcare AI

It's undeniable that AI will play a significant role in the future of healthcare. The Medical Futurist has extensively covered the AI revolution in healthcare, and this article provides a great summary of ten crucial predictions for what we can expect from AI in medicine. Most importantly, TMF emphasizes that while technology can serve as a powerful tool, healthcare will always remain a fundamentally human endeavor.

The Medical Futurist >

Industry Roundup

Funding updates and innovative collaborations from the last month.

• Brightside Health, a telemental healthcare provider, raises $33M for Medicaid Expansion
• Otsuka and Click Therapeutics announce FDA clearance of Rejoyn, the first prescription digital therapeutic authorized for the adjective treatment of major depressive disorder symptoms
• Curai Health partners with Tufts Medicine to provide patients with 24/7 virtual care
• WebMD acquires Healthwise to bolster patient engagement and growth

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