Even though it is not common knowledge, the majority of medical personnel often use various translation software solutions in their daily routine. Regardless if it is a quick check-up with the treatment plan of a foreign patient or consulting some phrases in Latin, it is only natural to use already existing medical language packs. Such an approach helps to get the facts straight and avoid the mistakes or misunderstanding of any kind. Just think about the urgent translation of a patient’s vaccination card coming from some Asian country or the list of medications that a person has been prescribed in some exotic land. The medical translation software comes to the rescue as it is used both by professional translators and the healthcare specialists alike.

10 Important Facts of the Best Medical Translation Software

While there are numerous language packs that come along with various medical software solutions, nothing comes close to Systran, which is the first pure neural machine translation for healthcare and nursing professionals. It is also the software that most hospitals use as the healthcare industry standard. The benefits include a special medical database that has been edited and checked by the technical translators in many languages under the close control of the healthcare experts. Some of the important factors include:

1. A Powerful Medical Dictionary. It is one of the greatest advantages of using Systran and a reason why many professional translators include it in their go-to software list when they deal with the medical documents. It has anything from Pharmacology to Emergency Nursing, Cardiology, or Rehabilitation field terminology.
2. Translation Memory Tools. Since some medical texts are repeated over and over, the use of translation memory that can be edited and adjusted is of great help among the medical experts who can easily check the treatment type or a medical condition.
3. Constantly Updated Terminology Algorithm. Since the world is not standing still due to globalization and the emergence of new viruses and diseases, having your translation database updated on-demand becomes crucial.
4. The Mixture of AI-powered and Manual Translations. It must be remembered that while automation is constantly improving, any official medical document will require turning to a professional certified translation company to guarantee that a document has been handled by a professional. It also means that a document will have a legal power linked to it and can be used as proof to avoid any disputes.
5. Voice Translation Methods. Another important factor is that most medical translation solutions include an option to record a voice message and have it translated. Starting from an example of a wearable device by Fujitsu to the options included in Systran, healthcare employees have a chance to get an instant machine translation. Still, it will never replace human expertise.
6. Increased Automation & Templates Included. You can use various medical templates if you want to have a certain medical document translated by typing in the simple list of requirements or questions to handle to a foreign-speaking patient.
7. Extensive Document Import & Export Options. You can share and upload documents for translation in various formats, including MS Word, PDF, PPT, and some exclusive medical hardware formats.
8. Graphic Snapshot Translations. A great advantage of medical translation software is the ability to take pictures of what must be translated. It works wonders for an immediate emergency translation.
9. Improved Privacy of Stored Information. The privacy concerns have been addressed too by offering improved encryption of all incoming or outcoming data.
10. Online Data Exchange for Professional Translators. Systran, as a professional solution for healthcare specialists, offers remote online access options for professional translators. Therefore, take your time to look at the best online translation services reviewed to choose the specialist who can handle your specific needs and meet the deadlines. Thankfully, Systran has good translators’ management options as well.

What Software is The Best for Medical Translation?

It all depends on your specific needs and the standards that have been accepted by the hospital in question. Systran, which has been discussed as an example of the best medical translation software, is the industry’s standard that has been approved by the U.S. government and is used by the national healthcare providers. Still, it must be made clear that no machine software translation is the guarantee of the accuracy of any medical or non-medical translation. It means that a professional translator’s service is always required while the medical software must be used only as a supplementary tool that helps to save time and use various methods to make the automation work for you.

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The correct understanding of what has been said and what actions must be taken represent a crucial part of any medical communication. It makes it obvious that even a minor mistake or a word lost in translation can turn into serious damage, which can only be prevented by professional interpreting service. It is also a reason why the hospitals must turn to expert assistance when dealing with a foreign language, be it a medical manual or checking through the medical cards written in a language that is not common in the country of origin. The safety of the patient and responsibility should always come first, which means that only certified services must be taken into consideration when dealing with precise medical requirements.

5 Reasons Why Hospitals Must Implement Expert Interpreting Services

1. Technical Translation Matters. First of all, dealing with any medical document or a prescription that a person provides in a certain language means that turning to an average translator will be insufficient. In such a case, it is crucial to approach an expert in technical translation with a background in healthcare and nursing. You can check TheWordPoint to see why only certified translation fits when your tasks involve the health of a patient and require expert knowledge on the subject. A technical translator will already know the terms and specifics, which will help to avoid misinterpretation.
2. Correct Interpretation of Incoming Information. Turning to professional interpreting services, the hospital follows not only the local laws but also abides by international healthcare standards, which means the provision of a professional interpreter. Unfortunately, it is not always the case in practice, which is why it is recommended to look through TheWordPoint review to choose an affordable, yet high-quality alternative to keep yourself safe. Since some hospitals may not offer an interpreter with a medical background, it is recommended to at least know where to turn to in case of an emergency.
3. Avoidance of Professional Misunderstanding. As we know, the hospital personnel do not always take the required time to explain the situation to an average patient, which often happens because of a situation or when the language barrier poses a problem. However, the key is to force the patient to repeat what has been said and how they have understood the condition or future actions that will be taken. The safest way is to hire an interpreter who will work as a man in the middle to help guarantee that there is no misunderstanding of what is being told.
4. Localization of Services on Offer. Even though it is not often mentioned when talking about the hospitals and the necessity of interpreting services, the role of localization of the hospital signs and the leaflets cannot be underestimated. If a patient can receive the basic guidance in terms of personal safety, insurance, location of a cafeteria, and the Internet access, it is already a major change in how the person perceives the stressful hospital environment. It will also help hospital professionals to establish friendly communication in the clinical settings. When a nurse is able to hand at least a basic instruction in a language a patient speaks, it is already the first step to rehabilitation.
5. Creation of a Correct Treatment Plan & Live Dialogue Service. The worst thing that can happen to a person is revealing a misdiagnosis or not really explaining the treatment plan that will be applied because of a mistranslation. It can end up with insurance challenges or even the healthcare risks for the patient. Here is why using a live dialogue with the help of a professional interpreter will let the hospital provide immediate help. Be it a presence in person by request or a live video conference with a translator, the interpreting services practice helps to save lives and makes the communication successful.

Presence of a Native Speaker

According to most interpreters dealing with the hospitals, especially in emergency situations, the patients are always looking for a native speaker they can confide in. In a certain sense, a language expert starts working as a nurse by listening to a person or getting to know about what has happened. In most cases, it is not a medical dialogue as such because a person will tell about personal troubles or lack of understanding of a foreign language. Therefore, only a certified translator will be able to analyze all of what has been told and deliver it in the correct way to the hospital personnel with due confidentiality and care.

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After an intense workout, you may be tired and a little bit sore. Your body may feel like it’s taking its time to recover. You also want to make sure that you’re not eating the wrong foods or taking the wrong drinks to be healthy afterward. So, what are the refreshing drinks you can consume after an intense exercise routine?

Check the drinks you should take after an intense workout by reading below.

1. Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)

The reason you need an oral rehydration solution after exercise is that your body cannot keep up with the level of fluid loss it experiences during exercise. Your body is not built to process this much fluid loss, and your body’s ability to flush out all the water that’s been lost will eventually become impaired.

Why is oral rehydration solution important? First, it allows your body to get back into the right state for the next exercise session. Second, when you start to lose fluids during a workout, your body starts to lose sodium. If you don’t rehydrate immediately, you may experience dehydration.

Electrolytes are essential for our bodies so it can function properly. If they become imbalanced, your body’s major organs can no longer function properly, including your heart, hence it may cause a heart attack. That’s why taking oral rehydration solution from dripdrop.com is important after exercise.

You can find oral rehydration solution in various forms, but here are some of the most common ones:

• Rehydrating Tablets: These tablets have ingredients in them that’ll help rehydrate your body. Some of them are made to give you quick results, like rehydrating after your workout session.
• Oral Rehydration Drink: This is an easy, portable way to stay hydrated, which you can take when you’re working out or drinking water. It comes in two different varieties:
• Water Pills: These are a little different from the rest of the oral rehydration solution. They work much like an energy drink or sports drink–they help your kidneys and other organs to work better and help your body retain more fluids throughout the day. Water pills also help your body retain more fluids and help keep you hydrated during your workouts.
• Oral Rehydration Supplement: These products have many ingredients in them, including vitamins, herbs, electrolytes, and minerals. All of which work together to help your body retain more fluids. ORS can also work to cleanse your system, helping your kidneys and liver to work better.

2. Protein Shakes

Most people would simply think that drinking a protein shake every time is unnecessary; you don’t need to drink it at least three times a day for a month or two.

However, you can drink protein as many times you want, and there’s no limit as to how much you can drink. Beginners should start by drinking one serving of protein per hour. Once you’ve gained experience, you can increase your intake.

Furthermore, if you desire to lose weight quickly and also build muscles, the best way to do it is by building lean muscle tissue, which can be achieved by drinking protein shakes. So, what’s the benefit of drinking a protein shake after an intense workout?

Here are the benefits of drinking protein shakes:

• Promotes Faster Recovery: Drinking a protein shake after an intense workout allows your body to recover fast. This is because the muscles are nourished after exercising. This is also why the body needs to consume more food than normal when you’re recovering from working out.
• Build Muscles Faster: The proteins in the protein shake help provide your muscles with amino acids, which are the main ingredients of protein that you need in order to build muscle. However, there’s no other source of amino acids other than your body. Protein needs to be ingested from your body in order to make it work.
• Replenish Lost Proteins: Another reason to drink a protein shake after an intense workout is to replenish the lost proteins. When you’re training, your body may lose proteins. By drinking a protein shake after an intense workout, you’ll get the protein that your muscles need to rebuild and grow faster and healthier. By doing this, you’ll get back to feeling and looking like how you used to look and feel when you first started training.

So, before you give up your goal of having big muscles, make sure that you drink a protein shake after an intense workout.

3. Coconut Water

It’s often the case that after a good amount of hard work, we’ll feel exhausted. So, our body will need to have something in order to provide us with energy. You can actually drink coconut water right after your workout as it doesn’t have any ill effects, as long as you follow the instructions on the bottle.

Here are the following benefits of coconut water:

• Fun Drink: By drinking a mixture of coconut milk and water after your exercise, you can actually enjoy a drink that tastes better. You’ll notice that the water that you drink will taste quite a bit stronger than the coconut milk, but the taste of the milk and coconut water together is a very pleasant combination. This is what makes coconut water after an intense workout a good choice.
• Reduce Pain and Inflammation: If you have any lingering pain from the exercise, drinking coconut water after your workout is a great way to help you deal with those issues. The natural components that you’ll find in coconut water will help with the inflammation and relief of the pain that you may experience. Drinking coconut water is also a smart option for those who are suffering from sore muscles.
• Feel Refreshed: The best reason to drink coconut water after an intense workout is that you’ll find that it’ll make you generally feel much better after your workout. As a result, you’ll be able to sleep much easier and your energy levels will be much higher.

4. Water

If you exercise regularly, it may be a good idea to stay hydrated. Some drinks may not be necessary, but when you’re out of the water, you may start to feel thirsty again. Water is essential to keep your body hydrated. Hence, to stay full and hydrated, make sure to drink enough during the day or before going to bed.

If you’re working out, you may find that you’re tired and thirsty. If you want to stay energized after a workout, you should drink plenty of water. You’ll find that you can keep your energy levels high for a long period of time and that you’ll keep your blood circulating in your body.

Conclusion

The recommended drinks after an intense workout include ORS, protein shakes, coconut water, and water. These beverages are healthy and packed with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and carbohydrates, keeping you energized and will promote faster muscle recovery.

Racetams are a family of drugs that are popularly known as brain or cognitive drugs. They’re believed to help with memory, learning, productivity, and give you more energy. For many people with a variety of health conditions, racetams are extremely beneficial. Although racetams are known as ‘smart drugs’ or nootropics, they’re not stimulants. These drugs should not be grouped with the likes of Adderall, Vyvanse, and other cognitive stimulants because they don’t typically have the negative effects related to anxiety, sleeping patterns, and shakiness. They also work differently inside the body. Piracetam was the original racetam. It was invented sometime in the 1950s by a Romanian psychologist and chemist by the name of Corneliu E. Giurgea. Racetams are used in the treatment of myoclonus and other cognitive diseases like dementia and depression. Originally, it was prescribed to treat epilepsy in the 1950s. There are many ways you can consume racetams, including dissolving them in water or a drink of your choice, or by stacking Phenylpiracetam powder—a type of cognitive enhancer in the racetam family. Stacking is when you take multiple drugs or supplements at the same time so they can complement each other and work better together. It really depends on the type of racetam and its recommended usage.

Here Are Some Ways To Take Racetams Safely:

     1.  Figure Out If They’re Water Or Fat Soluble

Before you take any racetam, it’s important to understand whether the ones you’re considering are water or fat-soluble. If you consume them the wrong way, they’re unlikely to have the desired effects or benefits on your body. Piracetam and Oxiracetam are water-soluble, while Aniracetam, Pramiracetam, and Phenylpiracetam are all fat-soluble.

• Water Soluble

Racetams that are water-soluble should be taken with water or a drink to be correctly absorbed into the body. There are several ways you can do this. You could buy racetams in the form of pills and simply consume them with a drink, or buy your racetam in a powder form and dissolve it into your drink. Water-soluble racetams are the easiest to take. They should be consumed on an empty stomach but, since the racetams are processed by the kidneys, the effects last a shorter amount of time. This is why many people prefer taking their racetams at regular intervals throughout their day.

• Fat Soluble

Fat-soluble racetams should be taken with food or some kind of fat source like healthy Omega 3 fatty acid. These racetams are usually processed by your intestines and waste is disposed of through your stools. The effects of fat-soluble racetams tend to last longer in your system because of this. Although they’re longer lasting than water-soluble racetams, taking fat-soluble racetams can be harder as you can’t simply mix it into a drink.

    2.  Know Your Dosage

Besides solubility, another important factor that determines how racetams affect your body is the dosage. Racetams aren’t typically harmful to the body and it’s almost impossible to consume enough racetams for them to be toxic to your body. When you first take racetams, it might take a few days to a week for your body to feel their full effect, but once your body is accustomed to them you may be able to lower your dosage and still feel the same effects.

Recommended Doses:

Piracetam- The parent of the racetam family. It’s the oldest and also the weakest. Generally, people are recommended to take 2.4 Grams of this racetam to feel its full effects. Since it is water-soluble, the recommended dosage is three doses of 800mg a day. Aniracetam– This fat-soluble racetam is much more potent than its parent. Aniracetam is popular among people that suffer from anxiety and nervousness because of its anxiolytic properties. The recommended dosage is two, 750 mg servings a day. Oxiracetam– This powerful racetam is known to be one that also works as a stimulant. Oxiracetam is four times stronger than Piracetam. It’s recommended that you take Oxiracetam as a single 800mg dose. Pramiracetam– Pramiracetam is one of the strongest racetams available, believed to dramatically help increase focus. It shouldn’t be the first racetam that you try, because you never know how your body will react, so it’s best to start with something weaker. Pramiracetam should be taken as three 250mg servings. Phenylpiracetam– Phenylpiracetam is another of the strong racetams and should only be two to three times a day at increments of 100-200mg per dosage. Phenylpiracetam shouldn’t be taken every day and only before tests or other important events. Noopept– Many people claim Noopept is not a racetam, but it’s included on this list because it’s extracted from Piracetam. This is the strongest of all the racetams and only 10-30 mg should be taken two to three times a day. Prior to taking any new medication, it’s best to consult your doctor for medical advice specific to your needs.

Here Are Some Ways Racetams May Benefit You:

Improve Your Brains Functionality

Racetams are believed to improve brain functionality. There are several ways they may do this, such as by increasing your brain’s blood flow, along with oxygen and glucose intakes. This pumps up your brain and puts it into overdrive, helping you become more productive and make learning easier. Racetams are also thought to make your cell membranes more fluid-like, helping speed up communication between cells. Racetams have been known to have several other cognitive benefits, including helping recovery from cognitive diseases and mitigating side effects from medical procedures that usually restrict blood flow to the brain. Unfortunately, most of the research that’s available on racetams is fairly old and new studies must be made to verify these benefits scientifically.

Assist In Overcoming Learning Disorders

Racetams have been thought to help curb learning disorders like dyslexia. Dyslexia is a disorder that affects the part of the brain in charge of processing language. This learning disability makes it challenging for sufferers to read, due to having difficulty matching sounds with letters or words. Dyslexia doesn’t have a cure, but if treated early enough, it can become manageable. Kids with dyslexia often experience learning problems, due to difficulties processing language, but can do fine in school with proper treatment and tutoring. In one study, doctors took 225 kids with dyslexia and gave them either racetams or a placebo on a daily basis for 36 weeks. After just three months, children that were taking the racetams showed an enormous improvement in their ability to read and comprehend what they were reading. These positive effects continued throughout the course of the study.

Believed To Reduce Symptoms Of Epilepsy

Racetams are used to help control cognitive diseases like epilepsy. One-way racetams assist with the symptoms is by greatly reducing myoclonic seizures. Myoclonic seizures are short spasms that happen when a muscle or group of muscles twitch quickly. Although regular myoclonic seizures are a significant health problem, most people experience a type of mild myoclonic seizure when they have hiccups or when they’re falling asleep but get woken up by their body randomly jerking. A 2005 study where a 47-year-old woman suffering from myoclonic seizures since she was a juvenile, was given 3.2 grams of Piracetam a day. This completely caused her myoclonic seizures to stop and the Piracetam had no known side effects once the subject was reevaluated after a year and a half.

Work Great For Pain Relief And As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent

Inflammation is a response your body has when trying to heal. However, many diseases like cancer, among others, have inflammation as a side effect and this can cause pain. Racetams are believed to have antioxidant properties. One-way Racetams neutralize inflammation is by attacking free radicals in your body—atoms with unpaired electrons that can cause internal damage. Although racetams do have a lot of health benefits, they can also have negative effects. Some negative effects that known to be associated with racetams are hyperactivity, diarrhea, and difficulty sleeping. These negative effects can be reduced and most of the time eliminated if you follow proper instructions and dosage when taking them. Like any medication, too high a dosage can be a safety and health hazard for your body. Rather than starting with a potent racetam and hoping it will solve your cognitive problems, it’s important you consult with your regular medical practitioner first. In some instances, racetams may interact with medication you’re already taking or a health condition you have. The main thing to remember is that not all racetams are the same. If you take a certain racetam incorrectly, you’re unlikely to reap any benefits, and you may experience side effects.

Conclusion:

Racetams may be beneficial to your physical and mental health in many ways. Racetams are thought to aid a range of health problems, from cognitive diseases to mental health issues like anxiety. Regardless of the reasons why you want to use racetams, always remember to follow dosage instructions and do your research depending on what racetam you plan on using. It’s also best to consult your doctor before taking any new medication.

Progressive Care Inc., a personalized healthcare services and technology company, is excited to announce that on September 1, 2020, the Company entered into a Letter of Intent (the “LOI”) to acquire one hundred percent (100%) of MyApps Corp. (“MyApps”) (myapps.solutions), a leading developer of healthcare software, which includes the emerging telehealth service app CallingDr™ (callingdr.com). In addition, Progressive Care will be immediately engaging MyApps to accelerate development of software platforms for ClearMetRX, Progressive Care’s wholly owned data management subsidiary, and its divisions. MyApps is a commercial-stage software developer on pace to record over $1 million in revenues in 2020.

Pursuant to the LOI, purchase price for the acquisition will be approximately $10,200,000, $7,500,000 of which will be paid in the form of Progressive Care common stock, at a price per share to be determined in accordance with the definitive agreement, and the remaining $2,700,000 of which will be paid in two annual installments, subject to the achievement of certain performance criteria.

Following execution of the LOI, the parties began negotiating definitive acquisition agreement, with the expectation of executing and delivering the definitive acquisition agreement on or before October 31, 2020. The completion of the acquisition is conditioned upon completion of due diligence procedures and the negotiation and execution of employment agreements and other ancillary documents.

Upon completion of the closing of the acquisition, Progressive Care will begin to provide health IT, HIPAA-compliant software development, HL7 integrations, and virtual healthcare services on a business-to-business (B2B) basis to hundreds of clients spanning the global healthcare distribution landscape, delivering services directly to consumers and through channel partners.

As noted above, MyApps fully owns the popular telemedicine and telehealth platform, CallingDr™, which is a complete virtual platform providing multiple levels of service with a suite of products, including the capability to allow patients to take ownership of their own health records and provide access to health information through the related app and patient portal.

MyApps software is currently used in hundreds of medical practices in multiple states, including gastrointestinal, internal medicine, psychiatry, pulmonology, cardiology as well as remote clinics and in-patient settings. Customers include single-physician clinics, multi-physician clinics, emergency room centers, nursing homes, and home health setups.

• CallingDr™ was ranked in the top ten list of patient engagement solution providers by Healthcare Tech Magazine in 2019.
• CallingDr™ has already been integrated to work seamlessly with Thinklabs Stethoscopes.
• CallingDr™ has been integrated into PointClickCare, the leading cloud-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) software designed specifically for the long-term care providers system.
• Technology Innovators, a leading tech-based digital publication, listed CallingDr™ as one of the top 20 Innovators in Telemedicine for 2020.

The CallingDr™ white-label software platform delivers features and functionality optimized to provide long-distance medical telehealth care, offering doctors the tools to manage clients through patient-doctor video, audio, and SMS HIPAA-compliant consulting and remote patient monitoring.

The CallingDr™ platform makes it simple for patients to interact with and consult physicians from the comfort of home, outside of conventional clinical settings, with no need to travel long distances to see a physician. This increases access to health care, improves quality of care, and decreases healthcare delivery costs by allowing for the secure transfer of data from patients to health professionals in real time.

The platform is unique – designed for ambulatory as well as in-patient settings, including post-acute and long-term care, with priority emphasis on easy adoption of telemedicine into existing practices. The mobile health platform integrates with smart devices and securely collects and transmits patient data to a physician for remote monitoring.

MyApps has also developed several other platforms that provide improvements in charging, capturing, and billing healthcare services for hospitals, as well as enabling patients better access to healthcare options in their communities by finding available doctor and insurance information in real time.

“Following the completion of the acquisition, we plan to market the software to the physicians who are currently our clients, and then to the entire community of physicians, medical practices, therapists, remote rehab centers, and nursing homes across the United States,” commented Alan J. Weisberg, interim CEO and Chairman of the Board at Progressive Care. “Following the sharp and significant deregulation of the Telehealth system we have seen over recent months, the door to a very different – and far more efficient – overarching healthcare paradigm has been thrown wide open. And MyApps has already built something with revolutionary potential, making this strategic move a grand slam home run for Progressive Care given our stated objective to become a global leader in the delivery and integration of Telehealth and Telemedicine services.”

MyApps Founder and CEO, Adnan Malik, added, “We look forward to joining the Progressive Care team, which will provide MyApps with a spectacular backing and platform to continue to drive value as an organization bent on changing the healthcare system from the ground up. Telehealth has been a revolution in the making for a decade or more. But the COVID-19 crisis has finally kicked down the doors and taken the system past the point of no return. With unnecessary regulatory barriers out of the way, the stage is set for an aggressive realignment in favor of telehealth solution providers.”

About Progressive Care Inc.

Progressive Care Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, provider of tele-pharmacy services, the sale of anti-retroviral medications, medication therapy management (MTM), the supply of prescription medications to long-term care facilities, and health practice risk management.

The Connected Care Pilot Program, a $100 million project unveiled in 2018 to improve access to telehealth for low-income Americans and veterans, will soon begin accepting applications, FCC officials have announced.

The Federal Communications Commission is getting ready to launch the Connected Care Pilot Program, a $100 million project aimed at improving telehealth access for low-income Americans and veterans.

The agency released details on the program this past week, pushing a plan that’s been about two years in the making closer to fruition. While no date has been set for receiving applications, the six-page document does lay out the ground rules for who’s eligible and how to apply for three-year grants for pilot projects.

The program will offer grants to cover 85 percent of the connectivity costs for telehealth programs, including broadband access, internet connectivity for patients and some network equipment. It will not fund the purchase of telemedicine devices.

Announced in July 2018 by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, the program was seen as a means of driving connected health access to people who have problems accessing care – such as those living in remote areas without reliable broadband coverage and those who can’t afford those services.

“We’re seeing a trend in telehealth towards connected care everywhere,” Carr said at the time. “The FCC has long supported the deployment of broadband to healthcare facilities, but advances in technology mean that high-tech, life-saving services are no longer limited to the confines of connected, brick-and-mortar facilities. I saw this firsthand when I visited Mississippi six months ago and learned about a remote patient monitoring trial that improved outcomes for diabetes patients living in the rural Mississippi Delta. Since then, my office has been meeting with experts in this field, visiting rural health care facilities, and working to see how the FCC can support this movement towards connected care.”

The FCC adopted final rules for the program this past April, and the agency said last week that it would post the opening and closing dates for applications in a future Public Notice, though it’s unlikely that applications will be accepted before November.

The program is open to those who meet the definition of “health care provider” in section 254(h)(7)(B) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and can be located in rural or non-rural areas. Eligible providers can take steps now to obtain an eligibility determination by filing an FCC Form 460 with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to obtain a Health Care Provider (HCP) number and eligibility determination, both of which are required on the application for the program.

The program had in recent months been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which was launched out of the CARES Act in March – using some of the groundwork laid for the Connected Care Pilot Program – to support care providers looking to launch or expand telehealth program to deal with the emergency.

That program used up its $200 million budget in July with a considerable number of applications left unfilled; according to this latest notice, providers who qualified for that program may apply for the Connected Care Pilot Program.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an 82-page Rural Action Plan aimed at evaluating and engaging challenges facing rural healthcare in the country.

The plan lays out a four-point strategy intended to address hurdles to providing rural healthcare, including building a sustainable health model for rural communities; preventing disease and mortality; increasing rural access to care; and leveraging technology and innovation.

The latter initiative includes broader support for telehealth and funding for the development of technological solutions to chronic conditions. It also acknowledges broadband access as a continuing concern for making use of health IT.

The HHS plan notes that President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to value telehealth services separately from similar services provided face-to-face for purposes of setting reimbursement rates, framing this move as a way to broaden beneficiary access to Medicare telehealth services. Providers have raised the question of reimbursement rates as a cause for anxiety about future telehealth availability.

The plan also reiterates the budget’s proposal to allow rural health centers and federally qualified health providers to be distant site providers for Medicare telehealth services and to expand access to Medicare telehealth services for Indian Health Service and Tribal facilities – making permanent a temporary flexibility furnished in response to the pandemic.

“The Rural Action Plan identifies key, tangible areas where HHS agencies can soon make a real difference in the health outcomes of millions of Americans,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar in a statement.

WHY IT MATTERS

Advocates and stakeholders have pointed to telehealth as a key tool for bolstering access to healthcare around the country, including for rural communities.

The HHS plan repeatedly invokes telehealth as a key stepping-stone for expanding rural care. Its strategy includes elevating the role of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, housed in the Health Resource and Service Administration, to “create a focal point on telehealth that will serve as a resource across HHS and enhance coordination with other key federal and private sector partners.”

The plan notes that HRSA has leveraged about $30 million in fiscal year 2020 to support the expansion of telehealth and that its Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will be investing about $8.7 million over the next four years to support organizations through a new Telehealth Network Grant Program.

Where other technological innovations are concerned, the plan notes a number of U.S. Federal and Drug Administration marketing authorizations for devices that could prove particularly beneficial to patients who lack access to local specialists.

It also supports a new HHS Health Challenge aimed at using technology to improve screening and management of postpartum depression for rural patients.

Some experts have noted that the plan references projects that are already underway, while others say telehealth remains short on funding in the HHS plan.

THE LARGER TREND

The plan follows an announcement earlier this week that the HHS had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work together on a Rural Telehealth Initiative.

“We look forward to working with our colleagues at the FCC and USDA to expand access through telehealth to quality, affordable care for the 57 million Americans living in rural areas,” said Azar about the MOU.

The initiative does not appear to be mentioned in the Rural Action Plan.

The plan also comes after a list of recommendations last month from the American Hospital Association about the steps that must be taken to safeguard access to telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic. The AHA told Kaiser Health News on Thursday night that it was still reviewing the HHS plan, but that it was “encouraged by the increased attention on rural health care.”

ON THE RECORD

“The Rural Action Plan continues HHS and the Administration’s continued focus on rural communities,” said former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, in a statement.

“It provides an important reminder of the key steps HHS has already taken to support rural communities as well as a number of new initiatives for this year and beyond,” he added.