Hospice care using home-based telemedicine systems.
A pilot study of telenursing for terminally ill patients at home was launched as a collaborative effort between KUMC and the Kendallwood Hospice. The service used the public telephone network. Interactive video equipment was installed in the homes of three nurses who received after-hours calls and in the homes of six hospice patients living in either Kansas or Missouri. Data concerning the utilization patterns were gathered for two separate three-month periods. Patients and caregivers reported general satisfaction with the telehospice system. Both the nurses and social worker providers became comfortable about video-calls. Nurses conducted video-assessments to determine whether an 'in person' visit was necessary. This was particularly helpful for rural patients who were living a long way from the base station. In addition, Kendallwood serves an urban population and, in certain areas, night-time nursing visits raise safety concerns.
Doolittle
G C
GC
Division of Oncology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7353, USA. gdoolitt@kumc.wpo.ukans.edu
Yaezel
A
A
Otto
F
F
Clemens
C
C
D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008923:Missouri; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*