Respondents were asked to discuss factors that contributed to the successful use of telehealth services in their respective regions. The following section provides an overview of the most commonly reported facilitators. Physician Buy-In Most respondents discussed physician buy-in as a key facilitator for telehealth services. Respondents suggested several reasons why primary care providers are likely to support the use of telehealth and refer their patients. For example, physicians—who are familiar with or have working relationships with the telehealth providers, and who believe that high-quality care will be provided—are more likely to refer their patients. Similarly, increased physician accessibility to services (e.g. round-the-clock access …show more content…
Similar to physician buy-in, hospital/clinic administrators’ strong beliefs in the utility of telehealth services resulted in financial and political support for the provision and utilization of these services. For one respondent, a key indicator of this administrative support is the development of a business plan that details, not only the anticipated revenue streams, but also outlines steps that can be taken to maintain telehealth service delivery if initial revenue streams are less than anticipated. According to this respondent, such a plan is critical to the long-term growth and sustainability of …show more content…
According to some respondents, many physicians are unsure what is—and is not—reimbursable with respect to telehealth services, particularly if the patient has Medicare or Medicaid coverage. This lack of clarity made physicians feel that there is a financial risk in providing telehealth services. On a similar note, most private payers in Idaho do not cover telehealth services, and there are currently no provisions for recouping costs for the uninsured. While noting reimbursement as a challenge for telehealth, other respondents felt like the challenges related to reimbursement were no greater than those associated with other forms of service delivery. Therefore, they did not exert an undue influence on a provider’s decisions to engage in telehealth