Publications
CTEC produces guides and materials that incorporate best practices in telehealth to meet the needs of a variety of telemedicine programs. These publications provide practical guidance, tool and templates and are designed to support the Seven Step Program Development process created and used by CTEC.
Click here to request Program Guides and Toolkits. A complete list follows:
Program Guides
- Organization Readiness Guide
- The Organization Readiness Guide assists you in the first step of developing a telemedicine program. This guide provides easy-to-follow questionnaires that will walk you through describing your proposed program and determining if your organization is culturally ready to begin the program development process.
- Telemedicine Reimbursement Handbook
- The Telemedicine Reimbursement Handbook is targeted at providers of telemedicine, contains information on CPT codes and other legislation affecting reimbursement in California. It also includes telemedicine definitions as well as sections on Patient Consent, Medicare Requirements, Medi-Cal and CMSP requirements, Blue Cross of California, and California Children's Services Requirements.
- FQHC and Rural Health Clinic Reimbursement Models
- FQHC Reimbursement Models provides a practical explanation of reimbursement models for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) operating under Prospective Payment Systems (PPS).
- Telecommunications Discount Guide
- The Telecommunications Discount Guide is designed to assist those applying for telecommunications discount programs and to encourage those eligible to take advantage of programs that may significantly reduce their telecommunications operating costs. In addition to providing step-by-step instructions for completing required program application forms, this guide also identifies strategies for combining state and federal discount programs so that eligible providers may achieve maximum benefit from all.
- Marketing Fundamentals for Telehealth Programs
- This guide assists in the development of a telemedicine program’s marketing component. It provides a variety of tools and templates geared to guide you through the critical elements of performing a market analysis and implementing promotional strategies and efforts.
- A Glossary of Telemedicine and eHealth
- The telehealth industry is rapidly evolving, as is the terminology being used to describe telemedicine and telehealth applications. This comprehensive glossary clarifies common telemedicine and eHealth terms.
- The Teledermatology Practice Guide
- The Teledermatology Practice Guide gives current and potential Telemedicine providers a better understanding of the elements involved in developing and sustaining a successful teledermatology program. This guide includes information on policies and procedures, best practice models, helpful tools, reimbursement policies, and a glossary of terms for teledermatology.
- Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Practice Guide
- The Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Practice Guide presents the practical aspects of developing a diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) program along with general guidelines and recommendations for performing DRS based on experiences in California.
- Operations
- This module addresses the operation of a telemedicine program - from establishment to quality assessment.
- Marketing
- This module describes how to determine if there is a market for a telemedicine program and how best to reach that market.
- Training
- This module provides an overview of telemedicine training programs, including the specific training requirements for different staff and available training modalities.
- Legal and Regulatory
- This module addresses many of the legal and regulatory concerns affecting telehealth.
- Policy Brief: Optimizing Telehealth In California
- This brief explores how California can expand the availability of telehealth and reach full optimization of these extraordinary technologies. It includes the results and recommendations of a Collaborative formally charted by CTEC. An Executive Summary is also available.
- Telemedicine Reimbursement: A National Scan of Current Policies and Emerging Initiatives
- This report provides a broad overview of telemedicine reimbursement across the country.
- If You Bill It They Will Come: The Results of a Meta Review of Current Literature on Clinical Outcomes, Cost-Effectiveness, and Reimbursement for Telemedicine
- This report provides qualitative meta-review of 21 literature reviews on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine.
- Optimizing Telehealth In California: A Summary of Focus Group Responses
- This report provides the broad views and opinions of telehealth experts and interested organizations about needs, concerns, and barriers to telemedicine expansion in California.
- Telemedicine and American Indians in California
- This report outlines the path of an innovative project with a mission of saving the sight of American Indians and improving access to health services. This report discusses the current levels of activity and interest in Telemedicine for American Indians in California.
Toolkits
CTEC works in collaboration with other Telehealth Resource Centers to create and distribute toolkits on key program development areas. The following toolkits are currently available.
Policy and Research Reports
In 2009 CTEC launched a major initiative to identify barriers to telehealth growth and to recommend policy and action steps to further the implementation of this important technology. This effort resulted in the development of a policy brief and three foundational reports to assist the Collaborative in their discussion and deliberations.
Color bound copies are available for purchase.