Telehealth has become an important part of the modern healthcare system. Lessons learned and data generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as described in this report, can help policymakers maximize its benefits and address previous concerns about safety, program integrity, quality and costs. The broad consensus identified by the TTP on how to move forward should send a clear signal to policymakers that telehealth is a widely accepted, valued and expected care delivery option.
Consensus is emerging that telehealth is the natural evolution of healthcare into the digital age, not another type of care or new benefit. New technologies provide tools to address concerns about program integrity, care coordination and quality, and new data generated during the pandemic challenge previous assumptions about increased costs.
Policymakers will, of course, want to continue to assess the impact of telehealth as part of the new normal, but it is abundantly clear that telehealth should be here to stay.
The TTP thanks everyone who helped us gather data and shared thoughtful and well-informed comments to aid our work. The TTP convenors want to thank the members who took time from their busy schedules to help work through the deliberations needed to build our consensus. It is because of this incredibly generous insight and assistance that the TTP learned and accomplished so much in a short time.