With Improved Standards, Telehealth Could Significantly Enhance Senior Care

In a new editorial, researchers argue that telehealth can lead to improved care among seniors, provided they adhere to standards that ensure the most effective delivery of virtual care. Published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, new commentary from researchers at West Health discusses the potential of telehealth in providing seniors with improved care, along with recommendations and a framework for future use. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that telehealth provided a wide range of benefits for both patients and providers. These benefits included improved access to care and better outcomes while providing more options. Researchers at West Health, a group of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations that centers its efforts around improving healthcare for senior citizens, collaborated with researchers from the University of North Carolina and the University of Pittsburgh to provide commentary on a study showing that people 65 and older want to continue using telehealth but have experienced technical challenges and other hurdles to access.