Hospital Telehealth Adoption Rate At 42%; Adoption Rate Influenced By Reimbursement & Licensure Policies

The telehealth adoption rate among U.S. hospitals is influenced by state reimbursement and licensure policies; hospitals in states that mandate insurance coverage for telehealth are 54% more likely to use telehealth; hospitals in states that require in-state licensure for remote professionals are 40% less likely to use telehealth.

In a sample of 2,891 hospitals nationwide in 2012, 42% had implemented one or more telehealth services. The states with the broadest adoption were Alaska (75% of hospitals), Arkansas (71% of hospitals), South Dakota (70% of hospitals), and Maine (69% of hospitals). The states with the lowest adoption rates . . .