The American Telemedicine Association held its 28th annual conference, ATA Nexus 2024, last week in Phoenix. The goal is to bring together innovators, change-makers and healthcare providers to lead efforts to improve access to quality care using telehealth and remote monitoring.
The theme is “The Next Chapter in Virtual Care,” which examines new realities, highlights lessons learned, and shares insights and actionable use cases, while convening Thought leaders, frontline providers, and patient advocates are defining the new normal for care and supporting the technology that holds the future.
Four telemedicine experts who attended the ATA conference reported on Healthcare IT news with their views on this event.
Amanda Bury, chief commercial officer at Infermedica, a digital health company specializing in AI-powered systems for symptom analysis and patient triage, notes that experts at ATA “emphasize the role technology in shaping the future of healthcare while recognizing it is only part of the solution Collaboration emerged as a key theme, highlighting how it can be done. AI integration can improve care quality and accessibility.
“Equally important is thoughtful delivery of telehealth services, treating it as seriously as in-person appointments,” Bury added. “We must provide patients with diverse care options that meet their needs and empower them to choose their preferred methods. To achieve this transformative impact on care personalized and convenient care, the technology itself must deliver a seamless, patient-centered experience.”
And Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, CEO of KeyCare, an Epic-based virtual care company, said one of his takeaways from the conference was “the emphasis on a truly hybrid model integrating health systems and virtual care options.”
There have been some notable stock price drops and even recently shuttered prominent telemedicine companies, and Berkowitz said he thinks “it’s clear that the era of the isolated telemedicine provider is over and that the best chance for success is the Tight integration where virtual care providers can coordinate with health systems.” , instead of competing with them.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Stephanie Lahr, president of Artisight, developer of a smart hospital platform that harnesses AI to deliver virtual care, emphasized that telehealth itself “still works well, as evidenced by energy, creativity and results shared this week at ATA We heard about improving access to care, staffing and patient satisfaction as models innovate. was implemented successfully.
“But we are also reminded of concerns around the uncertain regulatory landscape and the risks of inadequate clinical engagement,” Lahr added. “There has been a call to action to engage clinicians, especially nurses, as we transform care models to improve patient outcomes and deliver joy for medicine.”
For her part, Lisbeth Votruba, RN, chief clinical officer at AvaSure, maker of an intelligent virtual care platform, said it’s “exciting to see organizations like ATA recognizing The value of nursing and virtual nursing in particular.”
Following the success of ATA’s virtual nursing summit last November, the organization continued that focus with a well-attended two-day conference at ATA Nexus 2024, she explained.
“ATA members recognize the need to transform care beyond just change,” Votruba said. “We cannot design new systems that cost more than what we do today or, worse, drain nurses’ time, talent and energy. We must provide for nurses the resources they need to work at their highest capacity. This includes systems, staffing models, and virtual care technology.”
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