News

Source: Jamin Wade, WLTX News 19

Source: Telehealth.HHS.gov

Telehealth is expanding access to nutrition care, helping patients overcome barriers to prevent and manage chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Obesity and chronic disease affect millions of people across the United States. Many adults living with obesity also have health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. In rural communities, it can be hard to find nutrition specialists who help patients manage these conditions. Telehealth is helping to close that gap.

In 2012, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) began offering virtual visits with nutrition specialists. These appointments connect patients with expert nutrition care without requiring long travel times. Rural providers can refer patients to MUSC’s Center for Telehealth, and the scheduling team contacts patients directly to set up a virtual visit.

During these appointments, registered dietitians work one-on-one with patients. They help patients build healthy eating habits, create realistic meal plans, and set goals for physical activity. Patients learn how to include more whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and proteins, into their diets. These changes can help prevent or manage chronic diseases.

Like many new programs, MUSC faced challenges. At first, some clinics struggled with scheduling, staffing, and using electronic health records for virtual visits. In response, MUSC developed a clear onboarding process to help clinics get started more smoothly.

The program also worked to improve patient engagement by providing simple instructions to patients for what to expect after receiving a referral for telenutrition services. This change helped more patients complete the scheduling process.

By expanding access to nutrition care through telehealth, MUSC continues to help people prevent and manage chronic diseases, build healthier habits, and improve their quality of life – no matter where they live.

By: Chaunte’ Causey, Communications Manager, PCC

Palmetto Care Connections (PCC) recently hosted two successful digital literacy trainings in Lee County, held March 4–5 at the Lee County City Complex in Bishopville. A total of 44 participants attended the sessions, gaining valuable skills to better navigate technology and access important online resources.

These hands-on trainings were designed to help participants build confidence using digital devices while learning how to connect to healthcare services, communicate online, and safely explore the internet. Each participant received a tablet and a year of cellular service as part of the program, ensuring they can continue practicing and applying their new skills beyond the classroom.

The trainings were made possible through funding from the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance.

PCC team members leading the sessions included Liz Saitz, IT Director of Community Engagement; Jessica Samuel, Digital Literacy Analyst; and Nicole Smoke, Digital Design Specialist. The team was also joined by Yvette Tobias, Digital Navigator Caseworker from MUSC, who provided support throughout the training.

Participants explored a range of topics, including foundational technology skills, how to safely communicate online, and how to access telehealth services. A key highlight of the sessions was health literacy, where attendees learned how to use MedlinePlus to research medical conditions, medications, and symptoms.

Attendees shared positive feedback about their experience:

“Really enjoyed the class, very educational. One of my favorite parts of the training was in Health Literacy and how to navigate MedlinePlus and look up different health issues and find different symptoms to treat them,” said Louette E.

“So grateful to be a part of this class. Learned so many things about how to use the device, but my favorite part was Health Literacy, looking up MedlinePlus. As a person who takes a lot of medications, I can go to MedlinePlus and look up the symptoms to get a better understanding of my medications,” said Lynett N.

Through initiatives like these, PCC continues to support communities by providing the tools, training, and knowledge needed to confidently use technology in everyday life—whether connecting with healthcare providers, staying in touch with loved ones, or accessing important information online.

by Sydney Barrilleaux, University of Georgia

Staying in touch with doctors online could help breast cancer survivors keep up their cancer treatment, according to a recent study from the University of Georgia published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.

After chemotherapy and surgery, most breast cancer survivors are prescribed oral endocrine therapy to prevent the disease from coming back. For these pills to be effective, they need to be taken regularly for several years. But it often comes with side effects such as fertility issues and other quality-of-life impairments, making long-term adherence challenging, especially for younger women.

The new study found that women using telehealth services were 58% more likely to adhere to their treatment plan. This is likely because telehealth helps reduce many transportation and logistical barriers, improves timely access to providers, makes follow-up visits easier and better supports the management of treatment side effects, the researchers said.

“The idea is to use telehealth to reinforce how important it is to keep taking these medications if you want to avoid a recurrence of your cancer or to have a metastasis,” said Lorenzo Villa-Zapata, co-author of the study and an assistant professor and graduate program director in the department of clinical and administrative pharmacy at the UGA College of Pharmacy. “If you’re a telehealth provider, you can ask if the patient has been taking their medication and if there are any issues they’re facing.”

Patients in urban regions more likely to use telehealth services

The new study analyzed data from the Merative MarketScan database and included more than 1,100 women under age 65. All had been diagnosed with breast cancer since 2018. Over five years, 77% of patients used telehealth services, totaling 8,350 visits.

The researchers found women in urban areas were more likely to use telehealth compared to their rural counterparts. Not having to worry about transportation may be a key reason why, the researchers said.

“Urban patients are likely trying to avoid traffic,” Villa-Zapata said. “They’re willing to just get a phone or video call from a provider rather than to drive to the office.”

Location also played a role in how likely women were to use telehealth services, the researchers said. Patients living in the West were the most likely to use telehealth. This may reflect differences in broadband access, health system infrastructure and patient-provider preferences, the researchers said.

Women who used telehealth paid more out-of-pocket

Although telehealth was effective in supporting medication adherence, it did have a downside. Patients who used telehealth services paid 15% more in out-of-pocket costs compared to those who didn’t.

Part of the reason could be that some patients had multiple chronic health conditions, leading them to use telehealth more often, the researchers said. Even so, the expense could be a barrier for patients.

“Reimbursement from insurance to cover the cost of telehealth has been a controversial issue recently,” Villa-Zapata said. “If the service is not reimbursed, people are not going to use it.”

Increasing technology access, insurance reimbursement could expand benefits

One reason rural regions use telehealth less could be because internet access and technology use tends to be lower, the researchers said.

“One of the things we started doing is collecting patient perceptions about telehealth to identify determinants of telehealth utilization, what benefits they perceive and what barriers they may experience,” said Shaimaa Elshafie, lead author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate from the UGA College of Pharmacy. “From a policy perspective, expanding technology access like internet accessibility and ensuring reimbursement by insurance would help.”

By making telehealth coverage more accessible, the researchers hope that more women will be able to stick to their treatment plans and reduce the chances of their cancer returning.

Publication details

Shaimaa Elshafie et al, Association of telehealth use with endocrine therapy adherence, metastasis incidence and healthcare costs in breast cancer: A claims-based cohort study, Journal of Cancer Survivorship (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11764-025-01950-x

Journal information: Journal of Cancer Survivorship

By Dennis Thompson (U.S. News & World Report)

By American Hospital Association

In the wake of the extension of many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027, researchers have shared findings that shed light on the popularity and cost of this care delivery method compared to in-person care. Following its sharp increase in usage borne out of necessity during the pandemic, it has become an integral part of the health care ecosystem and a tool for expanding access to care while conserving financial resources.

Here are a few notable insights into telehealth utilization rates from a recent Epic Research analysis.

1 | Telehealth utilization seems to have stabilized at 6-7% in primary care.

After skyrocketing during the pandemic, the telehealth utilization rate in the realm of primary care declined from mid-2022 to mid-2023 and has since seemed to stabilize at 6-7%, indicating “a new steady state in the balance between virtual and in-person care,” according to Epic Research. The analysis found that telehealth declined from slightly more than 8% of primary care encounters in July 2022 to a bit less than 6% in October 2025, constituting a 30% decrease.

2 | Patients with a preferred language other than English are more likely to use telehealth services.

During the study period, Epic Research found that the 12-month rolling average percentage of primary care visits conducted via telehealth was significantly higher for patients who preferred a language other than English. As of October 2025, compared to individuals with a preference for English, utilization rates were greater for individuals who spoke Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Persian or Spanish.

3 | Telehealth use varies by specialty and is highest for mental health.

Outside of the realm of primary care, telemedicine prevalence compared to in-person care varies considerably across medical specialties, as shown by the Epic Research telehealth utilization tracker. As of December 2025, mental health had the highest utilization rate at 28.2%, followed by endocrinology (11.4%) and obstetrics (9.4%). Urgent care had the lowest rate at 2.3%.

4 | People in metropolitan areas favor telemedicine for primary care more than those in rural regions.

Patients in metro areas use telehealth services at approximately twice the rate of individuals in more rural areas. In October 2025, metropolitan patients demonstrated a telehealth utilization rate greater than 6%, compared to less than 4% for people in small towns.

By Joel Abrams, From TheConversation.com

Americans age 65 and older who are insured by Medicare logged about 60 million telehealth visits annually between 2021 and 2023 – about 31 million for mental health and 29 million for other health issues. That’s the key finding in a new study I co-authored in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

We also found that people with Medicare coverage who used telehealth services were generally in poorer health and faced more physical and functional limitations in their daily life, compared with their counterparts who only had medical appointments in person.

To get at these numbers, we analyzed a national survey called the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, which provides a nationally representative snapshot of how different groups of Americans use and receive health care. Based on our analysis, we generated national estimates of telehealth visits that reflect care patterns for everyone insured through Medicare, a federal health insurance program primarily for people age 65 and older as well as some younger people with disabilities.

Why it matters

In just a few years, telehealth has become a central part of how health care is delivered in the United States – and it is likely to continue to play an important role in the health care system.

Before 2020, patients rarely got their health care virtually. About 1.7% of Medicare patients – 910,490 people – used telehealth for medical appointments in 2019. These were mostly patients in rural areas, and only certain clinics were authorized to offer it.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government expanded telehealth coverage for people insured by Medicare to make it easier for patients to maintain access to health care. Many insurance companies did, too. The number of Medicare patients using telehealth services jumped to 53% in 2021, corresponding to nearly 28.3 million telehealth users at the peak of the pandemic.

While telehealth appointments overall – not just for people with Medicare coverage – have dropped since the height of the pandemic, they remain much higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to data from Epic, the largest electronic medical record company in the U.S.

Legislation passed in 2021 made Medicare’s coverage of telehealth permanent for mental health services. But coverage for accessing care via telehealth for other types of health conditions, such as respiratory infections or diabetes, is set to expire in 2027 – and policymakers are still deciding whether to continue it.

Our findings underscore the important role that telehealth has come to serve in enabling older adults to access health care for all types of acute and chronic medical conditions. Emerging research suggests it can help them see their providers more consistently without compromising the quality of care compared to in-person visits.

Limiting access to telehealth services could reverse recent gains in access for older adults – particularly for patients who have geographical or health limitations that can make getting to in-person appointments challenging.

What still isn’t known

While our study sheds light on who used telehealth and for what medical conditions, several important questions remain.

First, we did not explicitly examine quality of care. More research is needed to pin down whether telehealth visits are comparable to in-person visits for treating different conditions. My colleagues and I plan to explore this issue for specific conditions, such as diabetes.

Second, our analysis focused on people who have Medicare coverage. Patterns may differ for younger patients or those with other kinds of health insurance.

However, our study aligns with others that have examined telehealth use since the pandemic.

While no single study or report is perfect, the overall evidence suggests that telehealth can help improve access to care and appears to be a reasonable alternative – either by itself or as a complement to in-person care for certain medical conditions.

By Kaitlyn Levinson, Route Fifty

By Devyani Gholap (Medscape.com)

TOPLINE:

Telemedicine-based treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, delivered on a mobile van with syringe services, roughly doubled the rate of treatment initiation and significantly improved cure rates among rural people with chronic HCV infection and a history of injection drug use compared with enhanced usual care.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial in three rural US counties to compare treatment for HCV infection delivered via mobile telemedicine vs enhanced usual care for participants with a history of injection drug use and chronic HCV infection.
• A total of 150 participants (mean age, 38.1 years; 68.7% men) were randomly assigned (n = 75 each) to receive mobile telemedicine care or enhanced usual care.
• Mobile telemedicine care consisted of a direct-acting antiviral treatment administered via telemedicine on a mobile van with on-demand syringe services; enhanced usual care involved treatment referral by a mobile van staff with care navigation to local clinicians.
• The primary outcomes were the proportion of participants who initiated the direct-acting antiviral treatment, who achieved viral clearance at the 12-week follow-up, and who reported no sharing of syringes or other injection equipment at any follow‑up visit.
• Follow‑up visits were scheduled at the end of treatment and up to 36 weeks afterward and included a self-reported survey and HCV RNA testing.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, follow-up data were available for 79.3% of participants. The mobile telemedicine care group was more than twice as likely to initiate direct-acting antiviral treatment as the enhanced usual care group (relative risk [RR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.41-3.28).
• Viral clearance at the 12-week follow-up was significantly higher in the mobile telemedicine group than in the enhanced usual care group (RR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.15-3.49).
• No significant effect was observed on abstaining from sharing syringes or other injection equipment during follow-up.

IN PRACTICE:

“In aggregate, this emerging literature shows that telemedicine — whether facilitated through OTPs [opioid treatment programs], community-based peer interventions, or mobile vans — is a critical tool for lowering barriers to HCV treatment among people who use drugs,” experts wrote in an invited commentary accompanying the journal article.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Peter D. Friedmann, MD, MPH, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts. It was published online on January 26, 2026, in JAMA Network Open.

LIMITATIONS:

The overlap in services, such as care navigation, harm‑reduction services, and vaccinations for hepatitis A and B viruses, likely reduced observed differences between the study groups. Because the study was not blinded, outcome assessments, particularly the self‑reported sharing of injection equipment, may have been biased. The van visited each site only once or twice weekly, which may have lowered follow‑up rates and affected the study outcomes.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, CDC, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Some authors reported receiving grants from these funders, one author reported receiving personal fees from Indivior for service on a scientific advisory board, and another reported serving as chief health officer of a private company subcontracted to deliver the telemedicine intervention and holding stock options.