Healthcare IT News - August 2008 - (Page 23)

www.HealthcareITNews.com physiCiaN pRaCTiCes & amBUlaToRy CaRe August 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News 23 Islands this rings particularly true, when receiving care could mean hopping a plane. ealTHcare professionals say telehealth affords patients more privacy. “Unquestionably it helps with the stigma associated with seeking care for mental health issues because patients are seen in privacy and don’t have to go into a mental health clinic,” says Adam Darkins, consultant with the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Many people have a fear of telehealth helps combat stigma h anyone knowing that they are seeking mental health care,” says Elizabeth Duncan, who has worked in TelEmergency at the University Medical Center in Mississippi. “I think that telemental health could give one a sense of ease and comfort once the person became comfortable with talking to someone through a monitor,” Duncan says. veTeRaNs Continued from page 1 who have returned currently have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. “In individuals with known mental health problems there is no greater population that is more ‘at risk’ than a veteran,” says Diana Rovira, a nurse in Augusta, Ga. “This is because these individuals are most likely to be ‘lost’ to care and/ or follow-up care within the healthcare system,” she says. Adam Darkins, chief consultant, Care Coordination, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, sees telemental health as a way to make mental healthcare services more accessible and convenient for veterans. “Telemental health will help veterans to concentrate on integrating back into society without interrupting their lives, especially in rural areas where they have a hard time attracting mental health professionals,” says Darkins. For veterans in the Hawaiian “Telemental health will help veterans to concentrate on integrating back into society without interrupting their lives ” – Adam Darkins Leslie A. Morland, a clinical psychologist and health research scientist with the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Honolulu, Hawaii, a division of the Pacific Islands VA Healthcare System, uses telemental health to connect with veterans on the Hawaiian Islands and conducts research on the quality and clinical effectiveness of these services. Morland says telehealth also allows veterans to move into the system more quickly so they can be assessed for treatment. The VA offers three ways to receive telemental health services. Patients can access services from home (more for patients with chronic conditions), a nearby clinic or through the hospital. Morland says using telemental health does require a little more effort on the part of the clinician. On rare occasions she says there can be technical difficulties and patients have to be prepared with a contingency plan. Clinicians also have to pay more attention to the patient so they don’t miss any nonverbal cues, and they have to establish trust and confidentially early on, she added. New York-based Tandberg and Pleasanton, Calif. -based Polycom are two examples of IT companies that outfit the VA with video teleconferencing technology or VTC. John Peters, general telehealth, Care Coordination, VA, says cost wise, “If we are talking about outfitting a clinic and annual maintenance for VTC we are looking at $5, 000 to $7,500 for a pretty basic unit.” A home unit could cost between $1,000, $2,000 and there would be a monthly broadband fee, he says. But Morland asks, “How do you capture the cost of someone not getting the care that they need? What are costs long-term for not getting care? What are costs for society?” “The veterans that I have personally worked with are very satisfied that they can have their needs met without having to commute three hours one way,” says Deb Frasher, who works for the VA as a mental health triage nurse practitioner. “Some patients like telehealth and it is very comfortable for them,” Darkins says. “But I think that the majority of patients prefer a face-to-face visit. Veterans are absolutely at liberty to chose if they want to participate in telehealth.” ■ More at zED Over 1,800 emergency departments in America already know the value Over 1,800 emergency departments in America already know the value ® of The System. ® The SystemEV ® gives you the critical tools you need of The TT System.The TT SystemEV ® gives you the critical tools you need to maximize workflow, from triage to discharge, in an electronic platform. to maximize workflow, from triage to discharge, in an electronic platform. With turnkey implementations and unparalleled usability, The SystemEV With turnkey implementations and unparalleled usability, The TT SystemEV improves compliance and reimbursement while keeping you focused on improves compliance and reimbursement while keeping you focused on what’s most important: patient care. To optimize your ED, visit tsystem.com. what’s most important: patient care. 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Healthcare IT News - August 2008 Contents Closer to IT Bill PHIN or RHIOs? Making Leaps After the Flood Tidal Change Denmark Bound Bridging the Divide Robot That Could Mobile Computing Data Everywhere

Healthcare IT News - August 2008

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