Telehealth is defined as the exchange of medical information through electronic communication to improve a patient’s health.¹ Although often used interchangeably with “telemedicine,” telehealth encompasses a broader array of services and activities. Telemedicine solely describes the use of telecommunication to provide health care directly to a patient, while telehealth includes talking to a doctor live via phone or video chat, sending/receiving secure messages between providers, and remote monitoring of medical devices. Telehealth is one element of digital health, which is a broader term that includes “disruptive technologies that provide digital and objective data accessible to both caregivers and patients.”² Examples of technologies that provide digital data include wearable devices and mobile health technologies.

According to CMS, "value-based programs reward health care providers with incentive payments for the quality of care they give to people with Medicare."¹ Value-based programs support CMS' three-part aim, a strategy that targets improved health care at an individual level, improved health of the population, and lower costs.