Minnesota Study of Telehealth Expansion and Payment Parity: Our Approach

Qualitative study

MDH contracted Wilder Research (Wilder) to conduct interviews with Minnesota residents, health care providers, and payer organizations, which were featured in the preliminary report to the Minnesota Legislature. For the final report, SDK communications interviewed providers, patients, patient advocates, and public health professionals. MDH interviewed Minnesota health plans to supplement the actuarial study and health care professionals and providers for spotlight features throughout the final report highlighting important uses of telehealth not captured through available data. 

Quantitative study

MDH worked with national and local experts to support the quantitative analysis for the final report. Mathematica conducted an analysis of the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database (MN APCD) to understand the impact of telehealth using claims data. Oliver Wyman conducted an actuarial analysis of the MN APCD to study the impact of telehealth on health insurance premiums. The Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium analyzed data from electronic health records to study quality, outcomes, and equity. The report also cites results from MDH surveys of Minnesota residents, ambulatory clinics, and the health care provider workforce. 

Focused literature review

The Center for Evidence-Based Policy conducted an environmental scan and summary of the available evidence on the use and effectiveness of audio-only telehealth. 

Technical Advisory Group

A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was convened from November 2022 to December 2023 to support study design and analysis. Refer to the TAG webpage for more information.

Policy-Informed Telehealth Research Workshop

In February 2023, MDH and CEbP held the Policy-Informed Telehealth Research Workshop which focused on research best practices and recommendations to assess the impact of telehealth on health care access, quality, outcomes, costs, and equity.  

Study partner and facilitator

SDK Communications, a public affairs firm, facilitated the Technical Advisory Group, oversaw community outreach and engagement, and led preparation of the preliminary legislative report, supporting materials, and contributed to the preparation of the final report. 

Where can we find results?

All materials can be found on the Publications page.