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Telemedicine and Delaying Hospitalization
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When should a skilled nursing facility, a type of long-term care provider, transfer patients to hospitals? The answer seems simple: when it is medically necessary. But in reality, a whole host of other factors comes into play—money being a major one. Also, transfers are difficult on patients and should be avoided unless essential. So what can remedy the problem?
A Boston Globe article in early July pointed out how a study funded by the National Institute on Aging presented at a May American Geriatrics Society meeting shows that over the course of five months, “37 percent of the hospitalizations of long-term residents at urban nursing homes nationwide were potentially avoidable.”
The article points out that many doctors have skilled nursing facilities third on their to-do lists after office visits and hospital rounds. Many doctors are cited as being overwhelmed by excessive paperwork associated with hospital visits. And trips to the hospital or emergency room are often to stave off potential malpractice suits. Some nursing facilities alleviate the problem by hiring nurse practioners or collaborating with outside medical service organizations. But another way that skilled nursing facilities are learning to deal with an array of issues is technology, specifically video and telemedicine services.
The Telemedicine Information Exchange (TIE) website touts itself as an unbiased and all-inclusive platform for information on telemedicine and tele-health and is a good place to find out more about associated issues. The Massachusetts firm Phone DOCTORx is just one example of how a physician can be reached with a simple call or flip of a screen. A doctor can teleconference with a patient, see them via a monitor and make a decision as to what the patient needs. Many nursing homes have found this reduces the need for unnecessary hospitalizations, but is this the wave of the future?—Will patients view this as an updated version of bedside manner or is this just a talking head?
Posted in: Elder Care, Geriatric Care Management, Nursing Care, Nursing Homes, Skilled Nursing
Doctors are busy people and why should someone have to go through unnecessary hospitalizations if they can be avoided. If the doctor can assess the situation over a screen then why not use one!
you can’t smell or touch through a screen and the visual is a bit distorted on a screen so the doctor is reliant on the patient and nursing or health aides filling out the picture for him/her. i think this is an important part of using these new technologies, the health workers need to be trained. nothing can take the place of seeing a doctor face-to-face.