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Do you know of a home
care telehealth program in Colorado we should be writing about? The
General Assembly of the State of Colorado URGES
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Click on the question to jump to the answers below, or scroll the entire list:
What is “Telehealth”? Telehealth is a means of using telecommunications devices to deliver health care services to and from patients. "Home Telehealth” uses such devices to deliver more services to patients in outpatient settings, namely in their homes. What
are “Telehealth” devices?
Most are monitoring devices, such as blood pressure monitors, weight
scales, medication distribution equipment, fall alerts, and so forth,
that signal an attendant at a remote location. It is possible that the
information is sent automatically, electronically, or may be sent by the
user. In any event, the information is transmitted to a health
professional who responds from the remote location. Is
Telehealth equipment expensive?
Equipment can range from very simple and relatively inexpensive
monitoring devices that simply transmit information, to very complex and
expensive systems that may allow real time audio and video contact
between the patient and the monitor at the remote location. Is
Telehealth different than Telemedicine?
Some people use the terms interchangeably, however, most feel that
Telemedicine is more specific to the distribution of drugs and
medications while Telehealth refers to a broader, more comprehensive
approach to health care. Many medication monitoring and alert systems
exist specifically to monitor drug administration. Others feel
Telemedicine is strictly limited to the medical aspects of health care,
while Telehealth covers a broader range of services. Is
Telehealth new?
Not really. As long as people have been able to communicate
telephonically, they have been attempting to augment health care by
establishing communications between patients and providers. Recently,
however, in the past 10 to 12 years, more complex and cost-effective
technologies have evolved, thus vastly increasing the range of uses,
reliability and affordability of Telehealth. Is
Telehealth safe?
Telehealth is built upon the notion that the sooner information is known
about a patient’s condition, the better and safer the patient will be
in the treatment or recovery cycle. In the case of chronic heart failure (CHF), for
instance, knowing the patient is experiencing a sudden, rapid increase
in weight or a surge in blood pressure signals an alarm that a crisis is
in the making. Attention and intervention may be needed to head off an
emergency. Does
Telehealth demand more health care staff for operations and monitoring?
No! To the contrary! One trained health professional, a
registered nurse, for instance, may monitor many more patients remotely
than is possible going door-to-door. Aid is dispatched when needed.
Telehealth is a great “health care provider extender” Is
the cost of Telehealth a reimbursable expense under most health
insurance or government health care programs?
Unfortunately no. That is one of the serious problems we are attempting to address with
our research. While many isolated and under-documented programs suggest
that Telehealth systems are very cost effective and worthy of
reimbursement, none have been sufficient to gain the widespread support
of the U.S. Congress and major insurance carriers. Current research
projects are attempting to appropriately document cost benefits in an
aggregate study universe large enough to put the issue to rest. Does
this lack of reimbursement mean people are not using Telehealth?
No, but not nearly as many as could benefit from the use of Telehealth
if they could afford it as part of their treatment plans or if such
measures were used more routinely by providers. Many have chosen to
spend the money privately to have the security and benefits of such
equipment and the ability to stay in the comfort of their own homes,
rather than remain in institutions at higher cost. However these numbers
are relatively low compared to those who cannot afford Telehealth
equipment or are initially fearful of technology, even as simple as it has become.
Those who have paid privately have been among those demonstrating the
cost effectiveness and viability of Telehealth systems. Now we are
attempting to prove it scientifically. What
are some resources for Telehealth information? Start by
using the most popular search engines such as: www.google.com,
or www.yahoo.com, or www.ask.com.
There are others. Simply type in “What
is Telehealth?”
In the meantime, here is an especially valuable link:
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 sw - 1/10/05 |
Home
Care Association of Colorado 7400 East Arapahoe Road, #211, Centennial, CO 80112 Phone (303) 694-4728 ~ Fax (303) 694-4869 hcac@assnoffice.com This site created and maintained by HCAC staff. |
