Telehealth

While healthcare organizations applaud lawmakers' support for extending flexibilities in FY25 stopgap legislation, they still have concerns about long-term certainty for virtual care.

The connected care leader at Philips explains how remote patient monitoring tech can combat hospitals' and health systems' problems with patient retention and overall capacity.

Also, the NSW government has launched a free virtual urgent care service in Sydney.

Much-needed virtual care to underserved Indigenous communities is in development in the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, reports Ivar Mendez, director of Canada's Virtual Health Hub.

If the DEA's role is not properly limited, there could be an overreach where the agency influences or even dictates how healthcare practitioners make decisions, which could impact patient care, says Dan Cohen, president of RTM company Adhere+.

This comes after pulling funding for some telehealth services amid receding uptake and cost-cutting. 

Tom Leary, senior vice president and head of Government Relations at HIMSS, gives a rundown of healthcare priorities.

The chiefs of three publications go over what they covered on the second day of HIMSS25, including EMRAM Stage 7 awards, the fate of telehealth and precision medicine.

A new chatbot on its mobile health app features AI-based avatars that can communicate synchronously with patients through text, voice, or video chat.

The technology, known as Bynahm, is designed to bridge the distance among hospitalized patients and their loved ones, using automation and VR to streamline communication and provide immersive experiences.