Telehealth is Rapidly Gaining Ground

In January 2021, Parks Associates released a study indicating 41% of US households took part in a Telehealth visit in 2020; Half of all kids under 18 have a high degree of interest in continuing with Telehealth visits; and 29% of households expect to purchase a connected health product in the next 12 months.

The industry leapt through 5 to 10 years of development in just a few months. Telehealth opportunities for everyone, combined with an increased use of smart fitness devices and a need for healthcare in a world subject to massive quarantine, contributed to the rapid progress and increased Telehealth offerings by medical practices all over the country. Apple watches, Fitbits and other fitness wearables are potentially capable of detecting wearers are getting sick more than a week before the first symptom appears, according to a study conducted by Stanford Medicine's Healthcare Innovation Lab. More studies are being conducted to see if this is the case with COVID-19 infections.

Medicaid is getting in on the Telehealth movement and worked with Centene Corporation to create a partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers. $5 million will be spent on equipment and providing "training and technical assistance to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to ramp-up their capacity to provide telehealth solutions."

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