Not quite three months after it rolled out an accreditation program for telehealth and providers, the American Telemedicine Association said it has received more than 200 applications to register, while awarding its first accreditation to Amwell.
The ATA launched the effort late last year, with the goal of helping establish more clear standards in the booming telehealth field. The standards were developed by experts and are based on best practices and federal and state regulations The accreditation will last for three years.
The ATA accreditation program is geared toward U.S. healthcare entities providing real-time, online consultations directly to the patient that meet specific standards, including the security of patient information, transparency in pricing and operations, qualifications and licensing of providers and clinical practices and guidelines.
It also provides benchmarks for organizations building an online practice and reassurance for payers that the virtual services they are reimbursing are safe and of high quality, according to the ATA.
“In an age where the average consumer manages nearly all aspects of life online, it’s a no-brainer that healthcare should be just as convenient, accessible and safe as online banking,” Jonathan Linkous, CEO of the ATA, said in a statement.
Amwell, a healthcare service provided by American Well, will be clearly listed on SafeOnlineHealth.org. Numerous other organizations will follow shortly, the ATA said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Dan Verel
Quelle/Source: MedCity News, 13.03.2015
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