Telehealth in rural hospitals : lessons learned from Pennsylvania

Content: IntroductionTelehealth Research TeamWhy You Should Read This BookWhy Rural Communities?Complications of the Project: Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActGoals of the ProjectChanges in the Healthcare SystemNeed for Project to Assess TelehealthCut to the ChaseBegin with the End in MindWhat Is Telehealth?Methods of the ProjectOur ConclusionsUnexpected ResultsRecommendations for ChangeConclusion SummaryWhat about Healthcare?What We Already Know about HealthcareHistory of Healthcare in the United StatesResearch on Healthcare in Rural AreasResearch on Healthcare Decision MakingHealthcare Challenges in the United StatesHealthcare Reform in the United StatesSummary of Healthcare ResearchWhat about Telehealth?Research on TelehealthBrief Historical Background of TelehealthTelehealth Cases and Projects: Focus on Prevention and WellnessBest Practices of TelehealthImpact of Volume on TelehealthGrowth of TelehealthProposed Solutions to Telehealth ObstaclesRole of the State and Federal GovernmentHow We Did the ProjectProject DetailsImpact of Legislative Changes during ProjectRefining the Definition of TelehealthDefinition of Rural CountyHow We Did the Search of the LiteratureInterview Phases and MethodsSurvey MethodsCost Impact MethodologyMacro Analysis: A Better ApproachThe Cost Impact of TelehealthTelehealth Program Impact Scenarios for Years 1, 5, and 20Analysis Methods of Survey DataWhat We Found Was SurprisingTelehealth Project ResultsSurvey ResultsInterview ResultsTelehealth Initiatives in Rural CountiesThe Cost of Healthcare-With TelehealthThe ChallengeTime Frame of DataSource of Data and Healthcare Cost EstimatesFuture Cost of Health Based upon ModalityLimitations of the Economic Cost Model and ResearchRecommendationsIntroductionFederal or National Policy RecommendationsState Government Policy RecommendationsPolicy Recommendation SummaryAppendix A: Questions and Source of Data MethodsAppendix B: FreeMind MappingAppendix C: Interview Theme SheetsAppendix D: Telehealth Resources and Current StatusAppendix E: Telehealth Projects in Rural CountiesAppendix F: Survey Information and InstructionsReferencesIndex