American Telemedicine Association
(PRWEB) May 11, 2015
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has awarded its second Accreditation for Online Patient Consultations to HealthLinkNow, Inc., a fully-integrated online network of psychiatrists and therapists providing mental health services across multiple states. In its first five months of operation, nearly 300 organizations have registered for the ATA program.
“In 2015, we estimate that over 800,000 patient consultations will take place online,” said Jonathan Linkous, CEO of ATA. “It is critical to ensure that online healthcare services are following the necessary standards, guidelines and laws to provide safe care to American consumers.”
“The ATA accreditation program promotes quality health care for patients. People want reassurance that they have access to quality care and physician/providers want secure health IT systems that work.” said Barb Johnston, CEO of HealthLinkNow, “ATA’s Accreditation Program has set the telemedicine industry standard for patient safety and service transparency. We are honored to be included in this accredited group.”
The ATA accreditation program recognizes U.S. healthcare entities providing real-time, online consultations directly to the patient that meet specific standards. Designed by experts in the field, ATA’s Accreditation Program for Online Patient Consultations has been developed to establish standard criteria regarding the security of patient information, transparency in pricing and operations, qualifications and licensing of providers and clinical practices and guidelines.
In addition to providing consumers with a sense of security, ATA’s Accreditation Program for Online Patient Consultations provides benchmarks for organizations building an online practice, and also provides reassurance for payers that the virtual services they are reimbursing are safe and of high quality.
HealthLinkNow is clearly listed on SafeOnlineHealth.org, a resource to help consumers better understand the growing use of telecommunications in the delivery of healthcare services. In addition, visitors may learn more about online healthcare and browse accredited services.
About the American Telemedicine Association
The American Telemedicine Association, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is the leading resource for the delivery of healthcare using telecommunications technologies. ATA and its diverse membership of medical institutions, professionals and healthcare and technology companies work together to guide the use of telemedicine to improve quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Established in 1993, ATA is headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.americantelemed.org.