Meaningful use: a national framework for integrated telemedicine

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services incentivized electronic health records (EHRs) implementation via meaningful use (MU) to enhance healthcare quality.
• Telemedicine facilitates MU through technological innovation, offering cost savings and integrated behavioral healthcare benefits.
• The integration of telemedicine and behavioral healthcare presents a promising model for system-level change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a model for incentivizing the implementation of integrated telemedicine (ITM).
• To frame the adoption of ITM as a system-level change strategy.
• To leverage meaningful use principles for ITM program development.

Main Methods:

• Review of background, principles, and justification for the ITM Model.
• Analysis of cost issues, EHR meaningful use structure, and benefits of integrated behavioral healthcare and telemedicine.
• Examination of the case for combined implementation of telemedicine and integrated behavioral healthcare.

Main Results:

• Proposal of the ITM Incentive Program, mirroring the MU program's tiered structure.
• Stage 1: Incentivizing technology adoption for virtual patient and professional consultations.
• Stage 2: Tiered incentives for increasing patient consultation metrics.
• Stage 3: Encouraging continued ITM use through clinical outcome-focused objectives.

Conclusions:

• The ITM Model unites integrated care and telemedicine through technology, business, and clinical processes.
• The success of MU for EHRs and waiver funding precedents provide a strategic framework for ITM implementation.
• ITM implementation can address healthcare costs and improve the quality and accessibility of care.