When I mention Nursing Homes does top-notch care come to mind? Probably not. Nursing Homes (and Assisted Living Centers) have suffered from a lot of bad press in recent years. From sub-standard care to poor regulation and management to downright dangerous and deadly conditions for its residents, it’s time for nursing homes to improve. Telemedicine can help.
Just think, residents wouldn’t need to be transported from the facility to the clinic for routine visits. Health care providers would save time and money and (hopefully) improve quality of life by increasing access to care.
One study on telemedicine in nursing homes found:
- Telemedicine “was adequate for service delivery in up to 99% of cases, depending on the specialty”
- “A greater number of clients were served and follow-up intervals were shortened” (as opposed to conventional clinic visits)
- Telemedicine “was cheaper than conventional outreach or clinic activities, and acceptable to users and clients”
- There was a “9% reduction in visits to the …emergency department and 11% fewer admissions to acute hospital wards”
The equipment could also be used for residents to access mental health care. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), depression in older adults “often co-occurs with other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.” One way to do this is to “embed” more geriatric psychiatrists and social workers in nursing homes. A less expensive route would be to utilize telemedicine technology to increase access to care.
To hear more on this topic view the archived talk at our Media section. Paula Guy gave the talk, Telemedicine and Nursing Homes: A Good Fit. Guy is CEO of the Georgia Partnership for Telehealth and a leader in the telehealth community.
