For those new to the topic, telehealth and telemedicine seem much the same only different. The way we use “blood sugar” vs. “blood glucose” might be one way to look at it, as we do make the same use of a phrase to mean the same thing. Whatever the name, the intention is to reach patients in areas that may lack access to care, and telemedicine is an opportunity to reach our rural and under-served patients with diabetes or pre diabetes. Cost effective, our greatest reach in Montana is often mitigating the burden of travel for our patients, bringing an important service to their community.
Telehealth is defined by some to encompass a broader definition of transmitting or delivering any healthcare service using telecommunication. Broadly this could mean videoconferencing, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, cloud-based communication of patient health data, or telephone support for patient care. Supporting technology could be computer, tablets, smart phones or other devices that allow either audio, video, or both.
The word telemedicine is generally ascribed to products and services that are offered in health care institutions not as a separate medical specialty, but as delivery of care supported or offered by technology. Both words are used by a great number of entities sometimes considered inter-changeable. There are important definitions that pertain to reimbursement.
CMS defines telehealth or telemedicine as HIPAA compliant, interactive audio and video telecommunication permitting real time communication and visualization. Special rules also apply to what kind of health care facility the health care delivery is originating, known as where patient or beneficiary is located and must be in a rural designated location; in Montana this is every county (some are frontier designated, like a super-rural) but Yellowstone. There are also rules for who can provide and bill for DSMES, and rules for what kind of coding is required both by billing provider as well as originating site. State by state variations must also be considered, including specifics of law and licensure.
There are many resources that help providers learn about provision of services and compliance. Legislation continues to perk along the pipeline for expanding location and making more options available. Check out these resources if you are interested in expanding your knowledge:
www.americantelemed.org
www.telehealthresourcecenter.org
www.cchpca.org
www.gptrac.org
www.cms.gov/transmittals/downloads/R140BP.pdf