The Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care discovered family physicians utilizing telemedicine likely operate in certain payment models.
The American Academy of Family Physicians sent a survey to 557 family physicians. Fifteen percent of the respondents reported they used telehealth in the previous year.
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine published the study.
Here are five things to know:
1. The study found family physicians who used telemedicine were more likely to work in federally designed safety net clinics (28 percent) or Health Maintenance Organizations (19 percent).
2. Academic health center family physicians used telehealth the least.
3. The study authors noted Medicare and many commercial payers do not reimburse for telehealth services.
4. HMOs present a greater motivator to use telehealth because some payers are reimbursing providers on a capitation basis, so they want to ensure patients aren't ending up in the hospital.
5. The study authors concluded further studies will determine how some practices are successfully implementing telehealth services and which incentives are key in doing so.