WASHINGTON - Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has awarded accreditation for online patient consultations to CareSimple and MDLIVE. Four organizations have been accredited since the program’s launch this year and approximately 300 organizations have registered for the program.

Owned and operated by Carena, Inc., CareSimple provides online episodic urgent healthcare services for consumers in Washington and California. MDLIVE is an online network of doctors and therapists providing medical and behavioral health services across multiple states.  

“Today, consumers have more choices than ever before for acquiring healthcare services,” said Jonathan Linkous, CEO of ATA. “Using a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone or telephone, a patient can connect with a wide variety of healthcare providers from the convenience of their home or office. It is critical that the patient knows the provider on the other end is following all laws and guidelines to provide safe and effective care.”   

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 program provides benchmarks for organizations building an online practice, and provides reassurance for payers that the virtual services they are reimbursing are safe and of high quality.

CareSimple and MDLIVE are 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 www.americantelemed.org.