Telemedicine left out of meaningful use, experts say

"Historically, telehealth hasn't received the attention that it's deserved from the federal government," says Neal Neuberger, executive director of the Institute for e-Health Policy and president of Health Tech Strategies.

A case in point is the government's meaningful use program. Neuberger spoke with Healthcare IT News after participating in a panel discussion at the American Telemedicine Association's annual conference earlier this week. The discussion, titled EHRs and Telemedicine, also included Yael Harris, director of the Office of Health IT and Quality at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and Christina Thielst, a hospital administrator and independent IT consultant from California. The question at hand was the intersection of telehealth tools with and EHRs and HIEs. Neuberger said the ONC should take a much more definitive role in helping increase and solidify those technologies' symbiosis.