Advancing an Equitable Telehealth Delivery Model for Medicaid-Eligible Populations with Chronic Conditions at Federally Qualified Health Centers​

Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Megan Cole, Dr. June-Ho Kim (Trustees of Boston University, BUMC)

Research Model

The equity-focused and primary care-based telehealth delivery model within a large Medicaid ACO comprised of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) will help to address full range of medical, behavioral, and social needs, and invests in telehealth capacity, training, and infrastructure at FQHCs in Massachusetts.

Evaluation Approach

The goal of this project is to evaluate the effects of telehealth on quality of care and patient experience among FQHC patients with chronic conditions, heterogeneity in effects across racial/ethnic and linguistic subpopulations, and identify best practices for optimizing the quality and equity of telehealth in Medicaid-enrolled patients.

Contribution to HSTRC’s Research Agenda 

Will generate quasi-experimental, mixed methods evidence on a promising telehealth delivery model for Medicaid enrollees served by FQHCs

  • Which clinical, racial/ethnic, and linguistic populations benefit? Which do not? How might the model mitigate or exacerbate inequities in quality of care and patient experience?
  • Equity-focused best practices and scalable solutions that can be disseminated to FQHCs, Medicaid-serving providers, and/or ACOs across the US
  • Identify challenges and gaps to be addressed
  • How to best integrate telehealth model into 1115 waiver to ensure health system sustainability