ICYMI: American Heart Association: Telehealth Is An Effective Option For Cardiovascular Care

Nov 16, 2022

Telehealth Provides Cardiovascular Disease Patients With Increased Access To Affordable, Specialized Care

In case you missed it, the American Heart Association, a member of Telehealth Access for America (TAFA),  released a scientific statement recently underscoring telehealth as a valuable option for cardiovascular care.

In the statement, lead author Edwin A. Takahashi, M.D. highlighted the benefits of telehealth implementation, stating, “Telehealth is transforming the way health care is delivered by improving convenience and availability.” Dr. Takahashi noted that while telehealth has been successful in connecting patients with their providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, access to virtual care must be increased to ensure widespread adoption. The statement also notes how the pandemic exposed limitations to the use of telehealth for some patients, such as affordability of the technology, lack of internet bandwidth and language differences that may prevent people from using digital platforms to their fullest extent. Dr. Takahashi went on to emphasize the future of virtual care, noting, “Telehealth has the potential to have a larger role in urgent diagnosis and remote monitoring.”

The American Heart Association’s statement highlights telehealth’s ability to increase quality and access to care, particularly for those in rural and underserved areas, while also calling attention to the limitations that persist for people to utilize care. The statement also underscores telehealth’s affordability, high level of user satisfaction, and impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) care. The American Heart Association finds that telehealth portals and remote devices can be cost-effective care management tools for patients with CVD. By implementing these virtual and remote devices, more patients are able to obtain cost-effective access to specialized stroke care.

These findings affirm accumulating evidence that telehealth care is a cost-effective, accessible, and safe form of care. “Telehealth will play an important role in the future of cardiovascular care because the evolution of technology will enable new remote care opportunities to improve medical accessibility,” Takahashi said. “Hopefully, this will have a strong benefit for patients from historically excluded and rural communities who often face health care disparities and are most at risk for cardiovascular diseases.” 

The time is now for Congress to capitalize on the bipartisan momentum to safeguard access to telehealth by extending critical flexibilities and working toward permanent policy.

Read the American Heart Association’s full statement HERE. 

Read more on how Congress can act to protect telehealth access HERE.

ABOUT TELEHEALTH ACCESS FOR AMERICA

Telehealth Access for America (TAFA) is a public education campaign supported by leaders in health care committed to better care, expanded patient choice, and protecting access to critical telehealth services. Learn more and take action today at www.telehealthaccessforamerica.org.