Johns Hopkins Medicine and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) announced Wednesday a joint three-year initiative to push for legislative action toward reducing state licensure roadblocks to expanding telehealth access nationwide.
The collaboration is dubbed the Licensure Innovation for Telehealth Transformation (LIFTT) Initiative. Its goal is to increase understanding around the need for improved telehealth access among the public and legislators. It will focus on “pragmatic federal solutions” to address gaps, according to the announcement, including care continuity and rare expertise.
“LIFTT will mobilize supporters, inform policymakers, and engage health systems to enhance our national strategy for interstate telehealth on behalf of patients nationwide,” said Helen Hughes, M.D., medical director of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Office of Telemedicine, in the announcement. “The ATA has been a driving force in promoting telehealth at both the federal and state levels. We are thrilled to partner to transform telehealth through targeted federal licensure solutions.”
There has been “incremental progress” over the last decade to promote telehealth access, but “enacting change still requires state-by-state adoption,” Johns Hopkins Telemedicine website says.
Some states created temporary rules to improve telehealth access during the COVID-19 pandemic when the need for virtual care services increased, the website notes. However, many have since reverted to guidelines that ultimately complicate cross-state care. Patients most affected by such regulations include those with rare diseases, cancer patients, transplant recipients and those who live in rural areas.
This new initiative seeks to create federal solutions that reinforce state-based regulations.
“State-specific licensure rules restrict patients from accessing essential healthcare services, especially specialized care, and create unnecessary obstacles to cross-state collaboration,” said Kyle Zebley, ATA CEO, in the announcement. “Federal oversight can establish a cohesive strategy for telehealth access nationwide, while respecting local governance structures.”
Zebley later added that the organization is planning a “complementary effort” to the initiative, with details to come “in the near future.”