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| Vol. 22, No. 17 |
| Jun 15, 2000 |
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Methodist VNA First Local Home Health Agency to Offer Telemedicine Methodist Visiting Nurse Association of Houston (VNA) has received a two-year grant from United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast to pilot a home telemedicine program. The first home health agency in Houston to offer telemedicine, VNA provides routine nursing services such as vital sign monitoring, education and counseling using video technology. Health care providers are using telemedicine to bring state-of-the-art medical technology into the patient's home to increase cost-efficiency and reduce the patient's need for home care, hospital stays and clinic visits. The pilot program, slated to serve 48 patients referred by Harris County Hospital District and other sources, is designed to supplement the current level of home health services for patients with chronic diseases and longer-term care needs. Telemedicine is the electronic transfer of medical information from one location to another most often using advanced video and communications equipment. Increased use of telemedicine in home health is expected to enable traditionally underserved populations to have better access to quality, cost-effective health care. According to one study, one-third to one-half of hospital re-admissions of high-risk patients are potentially preventable. Because patients are more frequently monitored through home telemedicine services, home care nurses may be able to provide more effective interventions and detect symptoms sooner to prevent complications. Telemedicine equipment, which is installed in the patient's home and connected to a telephone line, includes a screen that allows the patient to see the nurse, a video camera and peripheral devices to measure blood pressure, pulse and heart and lung sounds, if necessary. The registered nurse initiates the visit by calling the patient's telephone number from the VNA base station located at VNA's central office, which activates the patient's equipment. The base station includes software that stores and retrieves patient data and enables the nurse to take snapshots. Patients sit in front of the video camera so that their image will be broadcast to the nurse at the base station. Simultaneously, the nurse's image is broadcast to the patient's home. The peripheral devices are easily operated by the patient, or caregiver, and allow the nurse at the base station to read and record the measurements. All visits and interventions are carefully documented in the patient's clinical record and VNA communicates with the patient's physician on an ongoing basis. Video snapshots, as well as heart and lung sounds, are stored in the computer database and can be communicated to the physician electronically. A nurse visits and assesses the patient at home every two weeks to ensure the quality of medical interventions delivered by telemedicine and to monitor the patient's satisfaction with the treatment being provided. VNA's goal is to improve patient outcomes by providing more effective management of diseases and preventing complications that require home health care and costly emergency, hospital and nursing home care. - EMMA CHAMBERS
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