When Hawaiʻi Governor David Ige touted telehealth as a key component in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in April, it marked a milestone moment for the college’s Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center (PBTRC). Since it was established in 2010, PBTRC has been advocating for telehealth, the delivery of healthcare via telecommunications technology like video conferencing, online and telephone.
“Telehealth adoption in Hawaiʻi was only about 20.5 percent before COVID-19 and now I’ve witnessed more progress in the past few weeks than I have in the last several years,” said PBTRC Co-Director Christina Higa, a UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences faculty member. “It has been amazing to see so many people and organizations coming together and work tirelessly to keep people safe and healthy.”
PBTRC plays an important role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the demands for screening, testing and safe healthcare continue to skyrocket. The center is assisting the Hawaiʻi healthcare community with the transition including telecommunication aspects, which plays a major role in minimizing patients, families and healthcare providers potential exposure to COVID-19 by providing healthcare in the safety and convenience of their home.
The center’s decade-long commitment to expanding the availability of healthcare via telehealth has better prepared Hawaiʻi for this moment. In support of the overwhelming assistance requests during this outbreak, PBTRC began conducting weekly telehealth training and arranging for experienced telehealth providers to train those just getting started. The center also assists multiple provider groups, including the Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association and the Native Hawaiian Health Systems.
PBTRC now tracks and notifies local authorities on the sweeping federal and state emergency policies adopted in response to the pandemic. “We work with local state agencies including the Hawaiʻi Department of Health and the state Medicaid program to identify needed state emergency waivers, and policies to match federal actions and meet community needs,” said Higa.
PBTRC also often provides assistance to legislators as they work to address telehealth reimbursement, broadband, licensing and other issues. The center facilitated input from stakeholders that contributed to Hawaii’s progressive telehealth state law adopted in 2016.
The center, which is part of the College’s Social Science Research Institute, is a collaboration between the College of Social Sciences and the John A. Burns School of Medicine. It is funded through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. PBTRC’s service area includes Hawaiʻi; Pacific Island Territories including Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and the Pacific Islands with a compact of free association with the U.S. including the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau.
