The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released Virginia’s first State Telehealth Plan in 2021 to promote an integrated approach to the introduction and use of telehealth services in the Commonwealth.
By law, the Plan includes provisions for the use of remote patient monitoring services and store-and-forward technologies as well as the promotion of the inclusion of telehealth services in hospitals, schools, and state agencies.
When the pandemic exacerbated the demand for virtual health services, the state saw an opportunity to adapt and further expand telehealth efforts.
Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) is working with VDH to update the Plan in 2023 by applying lessons learned over the last few years when telehealth use skyrocketed. VTN and VDH will conduct listening sessions to collect information, feedback about the Plan, and best practices that will inform enhancements.
To kick off this initiative, VTN hosted a listening session during its 2023 Summit: Planning for the Future of Telehealth. The session featured high-level policy discussions regarding changes needed at the federal, state, and local levels; local innovations in telehealth that could present models for replication across the Commonwealth; and multi-sector dialogue regarding where Virginia wants telehealth to be in the next five years.
Discussion Highlights About the State of Telehealth in Virginia
Discussions during the Summit followed the SOAR framework to discuss strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results. Over 100 attendees from across Virginia including clinicians, state leaders, health system administrators, health plan leaders, public policy advocates, and industry representatives participated in the session. Below are a few takeaways from the event (read the full summary here):
Strengths: Virginia is a national leader in telehealth policy and innovation. Government officials have been champions for telehealth passing permanent legislation regarding telehealth use in Virginia. Data also shows that Medicaid expenditures during the pandemic showed telehealth
is largely substitutive and that telehealth improved access to mental health care.
Opportunities: Focus areas to prioritize include advancing conversations on alternative payment models, integrated care models, and creative problem solving for enhancing access to care, including school-based telehealth offerings and permanent telehealth space within clinics. Industry experts want to see Virginia continue its role as a national leader in telehealth advocacy.
Aspirations: Workforce development, investments in digital health, and opportunities to integrate lessons learned in various use cases and care settings are a few, among many, goals and aspirations discussed.
Results: A few elements to monitor and measure over the next several years to ensure success include both patient and provider satisfaction, improved clinical outcomes like better management of chronic illness, and standardizing telehealth to be on par with in-person care where appropriate – among many more.
The future of telehealth is looking bright in Virginia. VTN aims to work alongside Virginia’s providers and health care experts to ensure continuity of care for all. For more information and a full 2023 VTN Summit Summary, visit https://www.ehealthvirginia.org/2023-vtn-summit-summary-report/.
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