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Utah Telehealth Network
585 Komas Dr. Suite 204 SLC, UT 84108 phone: 801-585-2426 fax: 801-585-2527 
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Telemedicine FAQ's
Services Network Map/Sites FAQ's Billing Technology FAQ's printable version
What is telemedicine or telehealth? The use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. Telemedicine represents a valuable resource for delivering health-related services to remote, underserved areas, providing greater access to health care for consumers and health professionals. How is telemedicine delivered? Telemedicine primarily uses videoconferencing equipment. This is an interactive technology and enables patients and health care providers at distant sites to interact "face-to-face". Technological advances now allow for these interactions to occur using a desktop computer. An alternative to real-time telemedicine is called "store-and-forward", in which clinical information is sent (like email) to a provider at a distant site for their evaluation. This does not allow for a dialogue between the patient and provider. Does Utah have a telemedicine network? Yes, the University of Utah Telemedicine Outreach Program manages the Utah Telehealth Network. The Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) consists of a hub at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center directly connected to numerous sites throughout Utah. UTN can also link with most other videoconferencing sites across the country and internationally. How can the network be used? The network is being used to provide patient care, continuing education for health professionals and patients, business and administrative meeting. What clinical services are offered? Clinical services offered through UTN include patient exams, patient consultations and follow-up exams. All patient exams are confidential and are done over a secure network. Who can access the system? The system can be used by any interested health care professional. In addition it can also be used for long distance administrative meetings and continuing education. Can you connect with more than one site at a time? Yes, through the use of a piece of hardware at the hub called a "bridge", several sites can be connected together for a conference. What will it cost me to use the network? Rates vary, depending on the application and the sites to be connected. Who should I contact to use the network? Please call the Telemedicine Outreach Office at 801.585.2426. Are there problems with licensure across state lines? Yes, providing patient care across state lines using telemedicine can be problematic. Some states, like Montana, have adopted restrictive licensure policies and require full licensure to see patients over telemedicine. Other states have less restrictive policies. What about reimbursement for clinical services? Many insurance companies are reimbursing for telemedicine services. Third party payers and Medicare may be billed for clinical services using standard E&M codes with special modifiers. Utah has adopted telehealth modifiers, which should be used when billing for telemedicine services. What are educational uses of the network? Using the Utah Telehealth Network providers may participate in a variety of professional and patient educational offerings. Network participants may request continuing educational offerings to meet their individual needs. The network is also an excellent means to provide statewide meetings of support groups. Can health professionals receive CE credits for educational offerings? Yes, continuing education credits can be provided if requested in advance. However, it is up to the originator of the continuing education program. Is the equipment difficult to use? No, the equipment is actually quite user-friendly and simple to use. Users receive training on the use of the equipment before their first conference. A telemedicine staff person is on hand at all times during a conference for any problems or questions. What would be the process if I wanted to see a patient/set up a clinic using TM? First, contact the Telemedicine Outreach Program office. We will then put you in contact with the appropriate telemedicine staff person who will meet with you to set up your clinic or conference. What do patients think of this technology? Both in Utah and across the country, patients have been very satisfied with the care they have received using telemedicine. Positive factors cited by patients include saving travel time and expense, increased access to specialty services and increased attention by their primary care provider. What do providers, both rural and urban, think of this technology? Providers have often been initially hesitant to use this technology for patient care. However, most are quite pleased with it once they have used it and realize the quality and ease of the interaction. Do other intermountain states have similar systems? Most of the surrounding states have telemedicine networks, except Idaho. The Utah Telehealth Network can connect with the networks in these other states. What ancillary medical equipment is available for use? Medical peripheral devices, such as stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and hand-held patient cameras for close-up views, are available at each of our rural network sites. Medical peripheral devices are not currently available at other state videoconference sites (such as those in the State ITS Network). What kinds of audio-visual devices can I use to present a talk? Slide presentations, both computer-based and 35-mm slides, can be projected. Paper documents can be projected using the Elmo, a document stand similar to an overhead projector. Videos may be shown as well; however, they don't transmit very well.
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