Maui Telecare Pilot Update   Click here

Telehealth Provides Patient Centered--Provided 
            Coordinated Healthcare Delivery

Characteristics

In-home telecare - limited number of patient transport Seamless health plans for evolving  patient conditions Provider coordinated monitoring of patient Safety and security home monitoring as needed Use of family care providers if possible Aging in place as long as possible Assistance in medication management

Changes Needed

Create ports of delivery and home contact in rural locations Training for Tele-techs (caregivers-providers) Prescribe a specific regimen of telecare choices for each patient Provide telecare navigation training for physicians and nurses Provide holistic patient management by using telehealth and live visits Foster sustainability and flexibility of navigating health care choices Provide universal third generation broadband coverage in rural areas before introducing fourth generation broadband Move past using teleconference rooms as the sole answer to telecare Partner with new technology and be flexible in adaptation.

LCD - August 2010

VA Study FInds Home Healthcare Reduces
Amount and Duration of Hospitalizations

Veterans with chronic conditions can manage their health and avoid hospitalization by using home telecare technology provided by the VA in their homes, according to a recent study.  The study found a 25% reduction in the average number of days hospitalized and a 19 percent reduction in the number of hospitalizations for patients using home telehealth.  The data also shows that for some patients, the cost of telehealth services in their homes averaged $1600 per year lower than nursing home or assisted living costs.

Mobile health devices gain popularity with patients, doctors - with strings attached

Patients favor the idea of being able to use mobile devices to send health data to physicians, but are not willing to pay much for the service. Doctors, meanwhile, find such devices very useful in keeping track of patients' health, but say they are not getting as much support from their hospital networks in acquiring the products. The findings, released in a new survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, point to the growing but conditional popularity of mobile health devices. In the firm's report, "Healthcare Unwired," 31 percent of consumers surveyed said they would buy an application for their mobile device to track and monitor their personal health, and 40 percent would willingly pay for a remote monitoring device that sends health information to their doctor. But 64 percent said they would only buy the device if it costs less than $50. Physicians, meanwhile, already embrace the technology, with 88 percent saying they preferred to track their patients' health remotely, and 63 percent noting that they already use personal devices for mobile health practices that are not connected to their practice. But 30 percent said their hospital or practice leaders do not support using the devices.