In 2023, we published a report that looks at telehealth practices across Washington, the telehealth policy landscape, and the future of telehealth. The report includes input from more than 50 professionals engaged in telehealth.
Read the Full Report
Report Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for innovation across the health ecosystem, including how therapeutics, and other public health services, to how patients virtually engage their providers through telehealth. Telehealth rapidly evolved from being a fringe service to a generally accepted way for people to access care.
DOH used telehealth during the pandemic to protect providers and the public. As we move beyond the pandemic, telehealth is a promising tool to increase equitable access to health care and public health services.
The purpose of this report is to:
- Show current telehealth practices across the Washington state health ecosystem
- Describe the telehealth policy landscape, especially relating to public health
- Describe what could be done to increase equitable access through telehealth innovation
The findings in this report are based on interviews with 50 professionals engaged in telehealth, and a review of relevant literature.
Recommendations
Our recommendations include:
- Enhancing internal and external DOH coordination of telehealth:
- DOH should convene a telehealth workgroup, possibly including telehealth providers and community partners, to better identify and address telehealth-related issues across the agency.
- DOH should identify DOH staff to represent our agency with strategic partners, track the rapidly evolving policy landscape, and help lead internal coordination.
- DOH should use regulatory tools, including training, to assist health care providers ensuring quality care via telehealth.
- Interoperability of systems: DOH should prioritize resources to support creation of interoperable data systems capable of sharing data between organizations. This should include both digital health systems and workforce capabilities.
- Mapping out funding: DOH must identify additional funding opportunities, especially for system interoperability.
- Planning for enacting and scaling up digital health.
- Using telehealth to connect with and serve vulnerable and underserved populations:
- Partner/pilot programs with academic institutions and health care partners to support development of telehealth applications.
- Building in data collection and evaluation for telehealth programs:
- DOH should continue efforts to understand how telehealth affects people. Evaluating its uses is critical as technology and public health become more intertwined.
- DOH could contribute to the research base in on topics that need additional public health research.
The speed of change will only increase with the growth of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and use of digital technology across the health ecosystem. This report call to action for state public health agencies to prioritize resources and quickly expand agency telehealth knowledge and capacity to continue serving as health leaders.