ClearHealth Quality Institute Announces First Wave of Accredited Organizations Under its Telemedicine Accreditation Program

More Than a Dozen Additional Organizations Have Already Begun the Application Process 

Annapolis, MD / November 16, 2018 – ClearHealth Quality Institute^TM (CHQI), an independent health care accrediting body, revealed today the first group of organizations accredited under its new Telemedicine Accreditation Program (TAP) as well as a select list of organizations that are in the application process.

As the only telemedicine or telehealth accreditation program backed by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), the CHQI accreditation seal provides consumers with an easy-to-identify confirmation of quality from an independent third-party organization.

The first wave of organizations to become accredited under CHQI’s new Telemedicine Accreditation Program are:

• AliCare Medical Management
• Amwell
• CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System
• InTouch Health
• UC San Diego Health

In addition, more than a dozen organizations are well underway with their CHQI Telemedicine Accreditation Program application, such as Bayless Integrated Healthcare, Doctor on Demand, innovaTel, MDLive and SOC Telemed.

To learn more about the scope of each telemedicine accredited organization, visit CHQI’s Online Accreditation Directory.

Currently, CHQI Telemedicine Accreditation covers three different modules: Consumer-to-Provider (such as physician or nurse triage services); Provider-to-Consumer (such as an ongoing provider/patient relationship including mental health counseling; and Provider-to-Provider (such as specialty consults including teleradiology). In addition, accredited companies are accredited for one or more specific service lines.

“The first wave of organizations accredited by the CHQI Telemedicine Accreditation Program represent a new standard of quality in the delivery of telemedicine in our country,” said Bill Lewis, MD, nationally recognized telemedicine expert and CHQI Accreditation Committee Chair. “By completing the CHQI Telemedicine Accreditation Program’s application and demonstration process, these companies took part in a substantive assessment process and received meaningful, constructive feedback to improve operations. Each CHQI accredited organization has taken the important steps necessary to promote access to safe, quality, and competent health care.”

“This first wave announcement is validation of the diligent work of our volunteer committees,” said Michael Gomes, Chief Executive Officer, CHQI. “Given the explosive growth of telehealth, it is crucial, now more than ever, to have a nationally-recognized seal of approval specifically for an organization’s telemedicine services. The CHQI Telemedicine Accreditation Program seal fills that void and brings a much-needed level of vetted credibility to telehealth.”

“The CHQI Telemedicine Standards Committee and supporting workgroups are committed to regularly finetuning and updating the existing Telemedicine Accreditation Program Standards as healthcare technology, regulations, and measurement tools evolve,” said Alexis Gilroy, Partner, Jones Day and CHQI Telemedicine Standards Committee Chair.  “Now that the Telemedicine Accreditation Program is well underway, our standards committee has already begun work on the program’s next accreditation modules – Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Telemedicine Outcomes.”

To learn more about CHQI, visit www.chqi.com or call (410) 756-1300.

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About ClearHealth Quality Institute™ (CHQI)

ClearHealth Quality Institute’s (CHQI) mission is to promote quality-based practices for health plans, providers and other stakeholders across the United States and its territories. Our accreditation and certification programs help assess, track and report on trends to enhance key insurance and provider outcomes. CHQI also offers educational programs, publishes issue briefs and underwrites research to raise awareness of patient safety issues and promote best practices. The organization is governed by an independent board and committee system, which is open to a wide range of volunteer members to ensure transparency and accountability. CHQI provides resources to serve patients, providers, payers, government agencies, and other stakeholder groups. To learn more about CHQI, please contact us at (410) 756-1300, info@chqi.com, or visit www.chqi.com.