mHealth + Telehealth World 2014

Sustainability of Telehealth and mHealth programs is a major concern for organizations. Whether the program is grant funded, in a pilot stage, or years in the making, organizations must take action to keep programs going in the midst of conflicting priorities and market changes.

• Learn how to create a financially sustainable program after grants or initial investments have run out
• Develop an approach to keeping Telehealth and mHealth programs as a top focus within the organization despite competing priorities such as ICD-10 changes and Meaningful Use requirements

For health care initiatives to move forward, decision makers need to see proof of success and understand the ROI of these practices through evidence from similar programs.

• Discover ways mHealth and Telehealth have been successful in improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, and preventing readmissions
• Communicate evidence-based outcomes clearly and understand how outcomes from other programs can translate to success for your organization

Using technology to provide health care makes it possible to provide care to patients regardless of their location. However, physicians in the U.S. can generally only provide care in states where they have a medical license, creating barriers to the scope of connected health programs.

• Hear an update on the progress of legislation related to interstate licensing
• Realize the impact of legislation on issues of credentialing and privileging
• Understand the future outlook of mHealth and Telehealth if and when legislation is passed

Health care providers and payers have become increasingly involved in digital health initiatives as a way to improve outcomes with patients and members. However, hospitals and health systems are struggling to fund these programs as the connected health programs they run do not fall under the reimbursement criteria put together by plans. In this session:

• Grasp the future of reimbursement for services rendered using technology
• Understand health plan requirements and criteria for coverage and documentation now and in the future
• Recognize the opportunity for collaboration between health plans and hospitals
• Discover the impact of the recent proposal by CMS to expand Telehealth coverage for 2015

In recent years, the interest of health plans in Telehealth and mHealth programs has been driven by their ability to use it as a tool to improve the health of their members. Payers are partnering with technology companies to create their own platforms and are recruiting providers to participate in these programs.

• Understand how these programs can be used by payers as a differentiator in the market
• Identify the effectiveness of these programs as well as consumer interest in participation
• Appreciate the impact payer-initiated programs may have on hospitals and health systems

• Find out about the recent guidance from the FDA and how security and HIPAA concerns are addressed
• Learn the point at which devices used for medical care need to be regulated
• Identify how regulations affect innovation in the industry and future development of mobile applications

Whether starting a new program or expanding to another department within the organization, it is essential to find ways to incorporate feedback from end users in the program design in order to increase engagement.

• Realize the importance of including feedback from providers and consumers in creating a sustainable program
• Learn best strategies for collecting feedback and using that information to improve or build programs
• Hear from an organization that has used this approach in its connected health programs

• Develop strategies to make digital health part of normal care delivery and use it to manage the health of populations
• Determine where connected health fits into the organization and establish a hierarchy to ensure efficiency
• Explore ways to expedite the contract process at the start of new programs
• Understand how Telehealth and mHealth can be utilized together to create successful programs

Consumer demand for mHealth and Telehealth programs is growing and health care organizations are not yet meeting this demand.

• Develop an approach for expansion of existing programs
• Understand the technological requirements for expanding a program
• Explore how expansion affects the workflow and workforce
• Discuss strategies for implementing standards of care across programs