FAQ

What is The California Telehealth Network?

The California Telehealth Network is playing a foundational role in improving California’s health care delivery system. CTN is creating the high speed telecommunications infrastructure and service availability that will support the creation of a fully integrated health care delivery systems within California.
The California Telehealth Network (CTN) is a non-profit agency established to create a robust broadband network dedicated to healthcare that to support improved access to health care through the interconnection of hospitals, clinics, physicians, health departments, schools and others.

The creation of CTN began in 2007 when a coalition of healthcare, technology and governmental agencies collaborated to request funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the expansion of broadband throughout California’s rural and underserved areas. The FCC Rural Health Care Pilot Project (RHCPP) awarded $22.1 million to California for the installation of broadband services and the development of a medical grade telecommunications network. The FCC RHCPP grant, originally submitted by and awarded to the University of California Office of the President, is currently being transferred to the new non-profit CTN agency.

In addition, the California Emerging Technology Fund and UnitedHealth/PacifiCare provided matching funds. The University of California also provided substantial amounts of in-kind support as the initial development, procurement, and implementation was managed by the University.

What is vision and goal of CTN?

The CTN vision is to provide managed, sustainable, medical grade broadband access to community anchor institutions throughout California. These institutions, connected together through a high speed network to academic centers, data centers, application service providers and insurers, will form the basis for a technology enabled health care system.
 

The goals of the CTN are to:

• Create a statewide broadband network dedicated to health care, connecting public and non-profit health care providers in rural and urban locations;
• Link the CTN to a national telecommunications backbone, connecting government research institutions, academic, public, and private health care institutions, giving health care providers increased access to medical expertise, continuing education and research;
• Leverage and build upon recent investments in telehealth;
• Utilize CTN for ongoing disaster preparedness training to enhance California’s ability to provide a rapid, coordinated response to a national crisis; and
• Report back to the FCC on the pilot program and suggested revisions to the FCC’s current rural health rules.

Why is CTN needed?

The availability of broadband telecommunications in California’s rural areas has been severely limited. The cost for a commercial telecommunications company to provide broadband has often been fiscal prohibited, leaving rural Californians with no way to access the myriad of essential services that are supported by high speed data communications. Healthcare is one of those critical services.

Approximately five million Californians live in rural areas and over 80% of the state’s land mass is rural. Providing access to health care can be challenging and often difficult and costly to patients, their families and our health care systems. California also has the most diverse population of any state, with both the benefits and challenges of multiculturalism, particularly as these relate to improving access to care for medically underserved groups and communities. Addressing access and health disparities is a priority for California policymakers, government agencies and healthcare organizations.
Advances in telecommunications and new information technologies can help overcome health disparities bridging geographic distances; improving access to medical knowledge and expertise; and creating new venues for education. The CTN brings the benefits of innovative telehealth and telemedicine services to areas where the need for those benefits is most acute.

What is telemedicine and telehealth?

Telemedicine is most commonly defined as providing health care services from a distance. Telemedicine used video conferencing technology especially adapted for use in health care with medical diagnostic scopes that can transmit images in real time to clinicians at sites distant from the patient. Other technologies allow clinicians to provide consultations by reviewing images when the patient is not present, much like an x-ray is reviewed without the patient in the room.
 

Telemedicine generally requires high speeds of data transfer to create the video necessary for appropriate clinical care – generally seven times more bandwidth than standard telephone lines.
 

Telehealth is a term that generally includes telemedicine and other technology enabled health services including electronic health records, health information exchange and disaster response.

How will telehealth and the CTN help improve health care?

Communities could benefit by having increased access to clinical services including specialty medical care by clinicians at distant sites, emergency room and intensive care consultation, video-interpreter services, telepharmacy, in-home monitoring, disaster response and other innovative clinical services. In addition, provider and patient education services as well as access to national health care registries and databases will be available.
These technology enabled services all contribute to improving access to patient services and clinical information.

What services will be offered by CTN?

• High speed, medical grade quality, HIPPA compliant broadband connections from 1.5 mgbs – 45 mgbs
• 24/7 technical support and comprehensive help desk services
• Point to point access to all other members of CTN
• Bridge services to connect multiple locations together for meetings and educational programming
• Access to telehealth program development and technical assistance services through the federally designated Telehealth Resource Center, CTEC
• Assistance in matching patient sites with available telehealth providers
• Access to the Public Internet through the Corporation for Education Network Initiative in California (CENIC)
• Access to Internet2 and the national LamdaRail
• Access to national healthcare databases and disease registries
• Access to educational programming designed for clinical staff
• Access to patient education programs
• Hosting for electronic health records
• Webinars and training services
• Discount programs for equipment purchases

Other services and applications will be available to CTN members as needs are identified.

How will the CTN be implemented?

CTN conducted a competitive procurement to obtain the services necessary to bring broadband services to rural and underserved health care sites and to create the peer to peer network that will allow all CTN participants to access all available services, other sites and value added applications that will be available on the network. The network will be much like a private virtual network that is protected from use by individuals and organizations outside the CTN network sites. CTN member sites can be assured of receiving high quality, medical grade, secure broadband network services in addition to a host of planned additional services designed to assist organizations in fully utilizing telehealth.

All health organizations can become members of CTN and obtain broadband services on a subscription basis. Over 800 rural and underserved health care sites in California applied and were qualified by the FCC as part of the Rural Health Pilot Project to receive a subsidy for the monthly subscription fees. Other organizations can become members and receive all the benefits of CTN through a monthly subscriber’s fee.

ATT was selected as the vendor to install the broadband circuits and individual site routers for the 800 Pilot Project Sites. The Pilot Project was launched in October of 2010 with site initiation beginning in early 2011.
The CTN Membership Services can provide you with additional information on available services, fees, and membership benefits.

How will CTN be managed and governed?

The CTN is managed and operated by a team of technical, administrative and program experts headed by the President and CEO of CTN. The Board of Directors of the CTN includes representatives from funders, the University of California and other major stakeholder groups.

How does CTN fit with other California initiatives for broadband access and telehealth development?

 CTN will provide the backbone and infrastructure necessary for seamless communication and data exchange between all the state’s and national providers and resources.  CTN is dedicated to providing a high quality medical grade network that fully supports the needs of health care providers and organizations as we move toward the full deployment of eHealth applications and solutions.

How are the California Telemedicine & eHealth Center and CTN working together?

 The California Telemedicine & eHealth Center and CTN are joining forces to provide training and program development support to CTN and FCC Pilot Project Sites.   CTEC has a rich array of program guides, tools and templates and other materials, as well as access to CTEC and other national experts on all aspects of telehealth.  Click here to access CTEC’s website.