About CE4TA

Why does CE4TA exist?

COVID-19 amplified the existing hurdles that older adults face in getting the care they need

Older adults commonly live with complex and ongoing medical conditions. Many face a confusing and slow health care system that is often ill-equipped to meet their unique needs. COVID-19 left many older adults without safe options to stay connected with their providers and receive regular care.

Telehealth emerged as a solution older adult care but came with its own set of challenges

Health care providers and payers set up remote access to care for patients as fast as possible and patients responded with a significant increase in telehealth visits nationwide. These services were lifelines for many older adults during the worst of the pandemic. However, as access to in-person care returns to normal, now is the time to assess how well-positioned existing telehealth programs are to meet the ongoing needs of older Americans. 

The way forward is to align telehealth services with age-inclusive principles and guidelines

When telehealth is designed to be age-inclusive, it can improve health-related outcomes, increase the quality of and satisfaction with care, and serve as a needed lifeline for older adults. Creating an age-inclusive telehealth program means designing systems that are accessible, equitable, person-centered, coordinated, and integrated for older adults.

About The Center of Excellence for Telehealth and Aging

West Health Institute (WHI), the University of Virginia (UVA) Department of Geriatrics, and the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC), partnered to create the Center of Excellence for Telehealth and Aging (CE4TA). CE4TA was established to advance the adoption of age-inclusive telehealth. It is a unique platform to foster a national discussion and movement to advance age-inclusive telehealth for older adults.

Our mission is to provide an open learning community that supports providers and organizations in delivering high-quality and effective care to older adults that accounts for their unique needs and supports their ability to age in place and live with dignity.

We achieve our mission by giving providers and organizations with practical tools, resources, and a community of leaders to support the delivery of age-inclusive telehealth. CE4TA is also a place that showcases the achievements of our healthcare partners in improved access and care for older adults. We aim to empower providers and health systems to successfully implement safe and effective telehealth programs for older adults by helping them quickly and easily access the best, up-to-date information.

Our vision is to evolve and expand best practices that can decrease barriers, improve adoption, and establish quality standards and competencies in telehealth for older adults. Our guiding roadmap for this work is a set of recommended Principles and Guidelines for Telehealth & Aging created by a group of subject matter experts including geriatricians, telehealth providers, health system administrators, and patient advocates. This group is called the Collaborative for Telehealth and Aging (C4TA). Visit our Partners Page to learn more about C4TA.

Principles and Guidelines for Telehealth & Aging

Equitable & Accessible

All people should have equal access to the same level of high-quality care regardless of age, ability, socio-economic status, or health and technology literacy

Person-Centered

Older adults should be at the center of decision-making—accounting for their care preferences, goals, wishes, abilities, support system, and conditions

Integrated & Coordinated

Systems should facilitate access to the information and support necessary to provide quality care to older adults, including communication between and within systems and stakeholders

Our Partners

West Health Institute (WHI), the University of Virginia (UVA), and the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC), convened a collaborative of experts in geriatrics, telehealth, hospital administration, and advocacy to explore issues involved in using telehealth to serve older adults. This collaborative, the Collaborative for Telehealth and Aging (C4TA) developed a comprehensive set of provider-focused telehealth principles and guidelines to provide guidance on age-friendly telehealth implementation and design.

C4TA Members

Use the arrows to the left and right of the photos to scroll through and learn about the C4TA members.

VP Clinical Strategy and Implementation, Medically Home
Senior Director, NEHI-Network for Excellence in Health Innovation
Chief Medical Officer for Senior Care Office, and Chief Executive Officer for Care Advances Thru Technology, Medical Director for post-acute care at Northeast Georgia Health System
Medical Director and Clinical Officer Family Medicine, Senior Care, Avel eCare and Associate professor at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Senior Director, NEHI-Network for Excellence in Health Innovation

Claire B. Cruse, MPH

Senior Director, NEHI-Network for Excellence in Health Innovation
Claire combines her health policy and health services research background, deep understanding of issues that cut across health care industry stakeholders, and focus on health care innovation to direct research programs for NEHI. Claire joined NEHI after more than 10 years at Deloitte, most recently leading strategy and operations for the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and Deloitte Health Equity Institute. Before Deloitte, as a trained gerontologist, she worked in organizations focused on aging services, advocacy, and research from the local to national level. She is a member of the American Public Health Association and the American Society on Aging.

Supporting Organizations

Delivers in-depth knowledge of telehealth and technical assistance to achieve the highest quality telehealth care.

The Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC) is one of two national and twelve regional federally funded Telehealth Resources Centers (TRCs). MATRC seeks to advance the adoption and utilization of telehealth and telehealth best practices within the MATRC region as a way to facilitate access to quality health care in rural and underserved communities and populations. MATRC works collaboratively with the other federally funded TRCs to accomplish the same nationally.

Delivers geriatric and clinical expertise to achieve highest quality geriatrics care

UVA Geriatrics focuses on achieving the highest possible level of physical and mental function for older adults through comprehensive, patient-centered clinical care; expert medical education through the learning continuum; and innovative and practical research in many areas. Geriatricians at UVA work with our patients and their care team to balance the impact of aging, diseases and medications with goals of maximizing function, cognition, independence and safety. We guide our patients to develop individualized health goals.

Driving thought leadership in the development, implementation, and quality improvement of telehealth services for older adults.

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations including the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence

CE4TA Timeline

We are committed to advancing and increasing the use of age-inclusive telehealth

CE4TA is the culmination of a collaborative effort over the past several years to respond to a rapidly growing need for guidance to implement age-inclusive telehealth.

2020

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, an already worrisome trend created an urgent need for action: there was no organized body of experts or adequate guidance to implement telehealth safely and effectively for older adults.

2021

WHI, UVA, and MATRC established the Collaborative for Telehealth and Aging (C4TA) of experts from health systems, academic institutions, member organizations, and non-profit foundations to help advance health for older adults by advising the development of guidelines, tools, and best practices for telehealth.

2022

The C4TA created the Principles and Guidelines to Advance Telehealth for Older Adults, a first of its kind guidance targeted to providers and health systems outlining tangible changes to existing practices around telehealth.

2023

The official launch of the Center of Excellence for Telehealth and Aging (CE4TA), a hub of resources and tools that we aspire to grow into a robust platform for thought leadership and community engagement around telehealth for older adults.

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