{"id":189829,"date":"2021-01-28T17:43:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T22:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=189829"},"modified":"2021-11-04T12:11:57","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T16:11:57","slug":"megan-cole-equity-telehealth-best-practices-medicaid","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/megan-cole-equity-telehealth-best-practices-medicaid\/","title":{"rendered":"Professor Awarded $720K to Evaluate an Equity-Focused Telehealth Model"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-media-focus-right-bottom has-text-position-x-right has-text-position-y-top has-dark-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-scaled.jpg\" class=\"has-background-opacity has-background-opacity-30\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-755x503.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/Professor-Awarded-720K-to-Evaluate-an-Equity-Focused-Telehealth-Model-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">healthcare disparities<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProfessor Awarded $720K to Evaluate an Equity-Focused Telehealth Model\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Megan Cole Brahim leads the collaboration with Ariadne Labs, C3, and Massachusetts FQHC Telehealth Consortium, supported by grants from the Donaghue Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">January 28, 2021<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/michelle-samuels\/\">Michelle Samuels<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/megan-cole-brahim\/\">Megan Cole Brahim<\/a>, assistant professor of health law, policy &amp; management, has received two awards totaling $719,573 to evaluate an equity-focused telehealth delivery model for Medicaid-enrolled patients with chronic conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The awards are from the <a href=\"https:\/\/donaghue.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donaghue Foundation<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwjf.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation<\/a>. Cole leads the project with June-Ho Kim, a faculty member with the Primary Health Care program at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ariadnelabs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ariadne Labs<\/a>, which is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They will also collaborate with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.communitycarecooperative.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Care Cooperative (C3)<\/a>, a statewide Medicaid accountable care organization made up of 18 federally-funded community health centers across Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-131858\" width=\"206\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/HEADSHOT-FACULTY-2018-OFFICIAL-CROPPED-Cole_Megan-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><figcaption>Megan Cole Brahim<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to generate an evidence base for providers and policymakers in Massachusetts and across the US as they make decisions about what telehealth might look like post-COVID, and how it can be used to improve quality, equity, and value of care for the most vulnerable,\u201d Cole says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of 2019, less than a quarter of the country\u2019s federally qualified health centers (FQHCs, which are health centers that receive federal grant funding) were using any type of telehealth to provide real-time virtual care directly to patients. By June of 2020, 98 percent were using telehealth in some capacity. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPost-COVID, telehealth can be used to improve access to primary and specialty care for patients who previously faced barriers making it to in-person visits,\u201d she says. \u201cPatients may no longer need to take a day off from work or take three buses across town to make it to an appointment. At the same time, patients with inadequate access to technology or internet, or who require interpretation services, may not experience these same benefits\u2014that is, unless the telehealth delivery model tries to bridge these gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next two years, Cole and Kim will lead research using data from electronic records, insurance claims, and patient surveys to evaluate how telehealth has affected the quality, cost, and equity of care for patients with chronic diseases, including how the effects of telehealth may have varied by race, ethnicity, and language. They will gather insights directly from patient representatives and FQHCs leadership to better understand experiences and develop best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to C3, they will also work with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers\u2014which, with C3,&nbsp; co-leads the Massachusetts FQHC Telehealth Consortium of 35 FQHCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThrough this partnership, we\u2019re thrilled to bring together the wide array of strengths and resources of the three organizations to accelerate innovation at a time of rapid change around the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d says Kim, who is also an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn particular, we want to transform the care for patients living with the physical and financial burdens of chronic illness and those who face barriers due to their lower income, race, and language,\u201d he says. \u201cTelehealth is a promising but unproven tool. This project is about trying to better utilize that tool to make healthcare truly meet patients where they are, both literally and figuratively.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Megan Cole Brahim leads the collaboration with Ariadne Labs, C3, and Massachusetts FQHC Telehealth Consortium, supported by grants from the Donaghue Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10989,"featured_media":190469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"healthcare disparities","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2737,3430,3434,2070,3420,2178,2847,1616,2037],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3526,3531,3535,3540,3541,3770,3563],"sphnews-topic":[3572],"bu_edition":[3769],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[2462],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/189829"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10989"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189829"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/189829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":203486,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/189829\/revisions\/203486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=189829"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=189829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}