Telehealth

1. Navneet Kathuria, MD, MPA, MBA
Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer
Premier Healthcare
Carolyn Driscoll, LMSW
Research Associate
YAI Network
PHC is a member of the YAI network.
Connected Health – What is it?

2. Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of technology to
remotely deliver health services to
patients
 Consultations
 Health assessments
 Diagnosis
 Treatment
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3. Telemedicine was Predicted in 1924!
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Current Methods:
 Real-time Techniques
 Store and Forward
 Remote Monitoring
Current Applications:
 Two-way video
 Email
 Smart phones
 Wireless tools

4. Telehealth
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Telehealth services allow patients to access
health education and support through their
home computers or wireless devices to help
manage their health. It also creates a virtual
medical community for providers.
 Personalized education materials and coaching
 Online discussions and support groups
 Provider trainings and continuing medical
education

5. VHA’s Care Coordination/Home Telehealth Program supports the care of
veterans with chronic conditions in their home
 Patients are assigned a care coordinator who selects appropriate
telehealth technology
 Care coordinators receive daily vital signs, messaging results, and
other disease mgmt data
 Alerts indicate significant changes and care coordinators
intervene
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Case Study:
Program Outcomes Source: VHA Taking Home Telehealth Services to Scale Nationally: Commonwealth Fund
• 25% decrease in nursing home bed days of care
• 20% decrease in hospital readmissions
• 85% patient satisfaction
• Annual savings of $1,999 per patient
At-home Telehealth Program for Veterans

6. e-Referrals developed by San Francisco General Hospital
 Structured secure email exchange between primary care doctors
and specialists
 Covers more than 40 specialties and services
 Others adopting – LA County Dept of Health Services, the Mayo
Clinic, UCSF, and UCLA
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Case Study:
Program Outcomes Source: Connected Health: A Review – Healthy Affairs 2014
• 50% decrease in wait time for most SF General specialty clinics
• 20% decrease of in-person specialty visits
• Improved preparation for specialty visits
• Stronger collaboration and satisfaction between primary care and specialists
Connecting Patients to Specialists

7. Benefits of Telemedicine/Telehealth
 Increased access to healthcare services
 Enhanced access to specialists
 Improved quality of care
 Reduced hospitalizations/ER visits
 Cost-effective method of service delivery
 Patient and provider satisfaction

8. e-Medicine
e-Medicine refers to health services and
information delivered or enhanced through the
Internet.
 87% of U.S. adults use the Internet
 Looking for health information is the 3rd most
popular online activity
•
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Most Popular Searches
Specific Diseases 66%
Medical Treatments & Procedures 56%
Doctors 56%
Hospital & other Medical Facilities 36%

9. Social Media
People separated by time and space can
create, share, and exchange information
and ideas.
Tools used in social media
 Blogs
 Microblogs (e.g. Twitter)
 Content Communities (e.g. Youtube)
 Social Networking Sites (e.g. Facebook)
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10. Social Media and HealthCare Case Studies:
Dave deBronkart “e-patient Dave”
 Diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer given 6 months
 Found successful treatment from online patient support
community
38 Year-old woman diagnosed with Spontaneous
Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)
 Mother of two young children diagnosed with rare condition
offered little guidance
 Online support group advocated for and got a doctor from
the Mayo Clinic to conduct a research study on their behalf
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11. The possibilities of using the internet and other
technologies as tools in healthcare is limitless!
What does research show?
Patients are using it and making important decisions
What’s needed?
More healthcare organizations & doctors becoming a part of it!
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Social Media and Healthcare – What’s
Next?