In my previous post I reviewed some of the ways Telemedicine is being used across the province to support care of the elderly. In this post I’ll review findings from articles that explore the use and benefits of telemedicine in geriatrics.
A recent article published by Baycrest, compares a face-to-face session versus a telemedicine session for clinic-based group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with adults who suffer from depression and anxiety. The results of which show that group CBT can be delivered in a technology-supported environment quite successfully and meet the same professional standards and outcomes as face-to-face delivery.
Another article reviews the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Telehealth Services focusing on memory support clinics by video conference. Research participants indicate that telemedicine services met their expectations and would recommend it to others. The telemedicine intervention resulted in fewer emergency department visits for participants when compared to the group that did not have this support. Further to this, participants had lower use of transportation services than non-telemedicine users. All of the results suggest telemedicine is an appropriate tool in supporting care.
Last, ‘Older adults' perceptions of home telehealth services’ explores the perceptions of elderly people and the use of home telemedicine services. The authors define seven areas that play an important role in the perceptions of home telemedicine services for the elderly, including: the perceived usefulness of the technology, the effort to use it, the social influence, the perceived security of it, overcoming computer anxiety, and their physician’s opinion on the utility of the service. Findings suggest that a physician’s support of telemedicine goes a long way in helping elderly patients adopt the service.
If you’re interested in learning more about care of the elderly, visit OTN’s Geriatrics Learning Centre to watch some excellent educational videos from our members.
