The Use of Technology for Health Care Provision by Care Homes for Older Adults: Survey Results

On the 12/02/16 849 surveys were sent out to all care home managers across Yorkshire and the Humber as part of a PhD project. The survey aimed to help me obtain a better understand of how technology is being used in care homes, what it was being used for and to provide a better understanding of the care home contexts in which staff are working. 

Of those that replied only 12 homes reported using videoconferencing as a method of health compared to 106 homes that were not using it and approximately 2/3 (64%) of respondents had heard of videoconferencing being used as a method of health care provision. Most respondents had heard of videoconferencing being used for advice (46%), this was followed by assessing (42%) and being used as a triage/ gateway to other services (34%).

 

Respondents were also asked to tick which statement best described how they felt about implementing videoconferencing in the care homes they work in. Here  44% of respondents reported that they would consider it, but would need to know more, followed by 18 % saying they are not sure it would be worthwhile as they already have a system that works well, another 13% said they think it would be unnecessary and 12% saying they would sign up for it today if they could.

Of those that were using it, all rated the system overall as being good (45%) or very good (55%). With 73% of homes reporting using it less than once a week, 18% less than 3 days a week and 9% using it once a year.

Overall, respondents rating the system as having the biggest impact on staff confidence.

For more information, please contact:

Louise Newbould (PhD Student): LKNewbould1@sheffield.ac.uk

Written by Louise Newbould

Survey: 75% of Healthcare Providers in the USA Still in Early Stages of Telehealth Adoption

A KPMG survey from the USA found that a quarter of healthcare providers surveyed found that their virtual care programs — telehealth and telemedicine — were sustainable, while 35 percent of providers have not yet embarked on their programs. 

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Telemedicine: How providers, payers are progressing amid continued hurdles [Special Report]

For all of the strides that have been made regarding coverage, both public and private, and available technology, telemedicine continues to be a fringe option for healthcare consumers. Many questions and concerns still linger regarding cost, effectiveness, safety and reimbursement, among other issues.

"On a maturity scale from 1-10, telemedicine is at a three," John Jesser, vice president of provider engagement strategy for Anthem's LiveHealth Online service, tells FierceHealthIT. "Those of us in the health business talk about it, know about it, feel like it's much more ubiquitous. But really, out there among the average American consumer, I'd say that seven out of 10 people probably still don't know that this is even possible."

Still, he says, that doesn't mean that the future isn't bright.

 "The good news is that the arrows are all moving in the right direction for growth," Jesser says. "Five years from now, it won't even be called telemedicine, it'll just be healthcare. Doctors' offices will be Web-enabled, mobile-enabled. That progress is going to continue to happen."

In this special report, Jesser and Judd Hollander, associate dean for strategic health initiatives at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, discuss with FierceHealthIT how each of their organizations is working to improve care access for patients via telemedicine. They talk about the hurdles they currently face, and share their thoughts on the state of the industry at large.

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