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Bonus Features – January 14, 2024 – Epic Research shows telehealth results in more follow-up visits that in-office care, Elevance Health to offer smartphones to qualified Medicaid beneficiaries, plus 21 more stories

Welcome to the weekly edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features. This article will be a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more. Because there’s so much happening out there in healthcare IT we aren’t able to cover in our full articles, we still want to make sure you’re informed of all the latest news, announcements, and stories happening to help you better do your job.

News and Studies

Follow-up rates for telehealth and in-office visits have remained consistent since 2020, according to analysis from Epic Research. That said, telehealth visits are more likely to result in follow-ups at the 7-, 30- and 9-day mark, especially in OB/GYN, podiatry, and internal medicine.

GLP-1 agonists have overtaken insulin in total prescriptions and cost among commercially insured patients, according to an analysis from Cedar Gate Technologies. The therapies are commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and are increasingly prescribed for weight loss.

The American Telehealth Association announced its policy priorities for 2024; they include making Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent before the end of the year and removing the in-person requirement for the remote prescribing of controlled substances.

In a letter, the EHR Association warned that ONC’s proposed information blocking disincentives may be less effective than intended. Entities using certified EHR technology and participating in shared savings programs likely already adhere to information sharing standards, the group said, while entities that are exempt from use of certified EHR may have trouble complying.

Partnerships

Product and Company News from CES 2024

Product and Company News from JPM 2024 

Sales

Awards and Recognitions

If you have news that you’d like us to consider for a future edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features, please submit them on this page. Please include any relevant links and let us know if news is under embargo. Note that submissions received after the close of business on Thursday may not be included in Bonus Features until the following week.

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