Collection
Telehealth in Complex Care

Telehealth Collection
What is a Collection?

Playbook Collections explore interventions that address the needs of people with complex needs by curating available peer-reviewed research, case studies, and tools. Although not exhaustive, Collections evolve as new and promising research and other resources are available.

Telehealth has shown promise by decreasing barriers to care access, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating its widespread adoption by provider organizations. Many providers and patient populations enjoy the flexibilities provided by telehealth, but some individuals with complex health and social needs may still experience barriers to accessing it.

Health care stakeholders can use this Playbook Collection to understand the latest evidence behind telehealth-delivered interventions and explore practical tools and case studies to learn considerations and effective strategies to guide implementation of telehealth programs tailored for people with complex health and social needs

What works in complex care telehealth interventions?

Following are summaries of peer-reviewed research, evaluations, and reports on telehealth programs for people with complex needs. Overall, the evidence suggests that telehealth interventions are comparable to in-person visits for a wide range of conditions. Additionally, there is extensive evidence on the effectiveness of telehealth to address behavioral health conditions. Telehealth usage varies by demographic variables such as age, geography, and race and ethnicity, and additional research is needed to fully understand telehealth’s impact on different populations.

What do these models look like in practice?

Below find case studies and on-the-ground perspectives on specific telehealth programs for people with complex needs. Case studies detail each program’s population, care team structure, payment model, lessons and preliminary outcomes, and other care model features that may be useful for organizations interested in implementing these or similar models.

How can my organization implement this approach?

Following are practical tools and strategies that health systems, providers, and payers can use when seeking to build or enhance telehealth programs for people with complex needs.

Share your success: Let us know about your innovations in telehealth for people with complex needs.