Virtual reality and telemedicine for home health care

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of the need to consider cultural factors in the design and implementation of digital health interventions. However, there is still inadequate knowledge pertaining to what aspects of the Saudi Arabian culture need to be considered in the design and implementation of digital health programs, especially in the context of home health care services for chronically and terminally ill patients. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the specific cultural factors relating to patients and their caregivers from the perspective of physicians, nurses, and trainers that have influenced the pilot implementation of Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home (RAHAH); a connected health program in the Home Health Care Department at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS A qualitative study design was adopted to conduct a focus group discussion (FGD) in July 2019 using a semi-structured interview guide with 3 female and 4 male participants working as nurses, family physicians, and information technologists. Qualitative data obtained were analyzed using a thematic framework analysis. RESULTS Two categories emerged from the FGD that influenced the experiences of digital health program intervention: (1) culture-related factors including language and communication, cultural views on using cameras during consultation, non-adherence to online consultations, and family role and commitment (2) caregiver characteristics in telemedicine that includes their skills and education and electronic literacy. Participants of this study revealed that indirect contact with the patients and their family members may work as a barrier to proper communication through RAHAH. CONCLUSIONS We recommend exploring the use of interpreters in digital health, creating awareness among the local population regarding privacy in digital health, and actively involving the direct family members with the healthcare providers.

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Caregivers’ Experiences Regarding Training and Support in the Post-Acute Home Health-Care Setting

Journal of Patient Experience ◽

10.1177/2374373519869156 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 561-569

Author(s):

Jo-Ana D Chase ◽

David Russell ◽

Meridith Rice ◽

Carmen Abbott ◽

Kathryn H Bowles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Home Health Care ◽

Home Health ◽

Barriers To Learning ◽

Telephone Interviews ◽

Qualitative Descriptive ◽

Training And Support

Background: Post-acute home health-care (HHC) services provide a unique opportunity to train and support family caregivers of older adults returning home after a hospitalization. To enhance family-focused training and support strategies, we must first understand caregivers’ experiences. Objective: To explore caregivers’ experiences regarding training and support for managing older adults’ physical functioning (PF) needs in the post-acute HHC setting. Method: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews of 20 family caregivers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: We identified the following primary categories: facilitators to learning (eg, past experience, learning methods), barriers to learning (eg, learning on their own, communication, timing/logistics, preferred information and timing of information delivery), and interactions with HHC providers (eg, positive/negative interactions, provider training and knowledge). Conclusion: Caregivers were responsive to learning strategies to manage older adults’ PF needs and, importantly, voiced ideas to improve family-focused training and support. HHC providers can use these findings to tailor training and support of family caregivers in the post-acute HHC setting.

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OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND HEALTH AMONG HOME HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igx004.4186 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. 1146-1146

Author(s):

J.M. Zoeckler

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Occupational Stress ◽

Home Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Home Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

Stress And Health

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Informal caregivers and persons with dementia’s everyday life coping

Health Psychology Open ◽

10.1177/20551029211000954 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 205510292110009

Author(s):

Bente Nordtug ◽

Wenche K Malmedal ◽

Rigmor Einang Alnes ◽

Kari Blindheim ◽

Gunn Steinsheim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Nursing Home ◽

Everyday Life ◽

Home Health Care ◽

Health Personnel ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Home Health ◽

Dementia Prevalence ◽

Close Relatives ◽

Home Availability

This qualitative study explores informal caregivers’ experiences of supporting persons with dementia’s everyday life coping. In the future, there will be fewer health personnel, increased dementia prevalence and limited nursing home availability. Accordingly, close relatives may be compelled to assume greater care responsibilities. Knowledge concerning persons with dementia’s everyday coping from the perspective of informal caregivers remains insufficient, despite these people’s importance for those with dementia. This investigation analyses informal caregivers’ perceived challenges and pleasures in providing care, how home health care affects everyday life coping and the factors that are most important to informal caregivers in supporting care receivers.

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Description, Health Care Utilization, and Outcomes for Home Health Care (HHC) COVID-19 Patients Early in the Pandemic: A Comparison to the General HHC Population

Home Health Care Management & Practice ◽

10.1177/10848223211001307 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 108482232110013

Author(s):

Tami M. Videon ◽

Robert J. Rosati ◽

Steven H. Landers

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Utilization ◽

Home Health Care ◽

Private Insurance ◽

Health Agency ◽

Home Health ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Observational Cohort ◽

Racial Ethnic ◽

Retrospective Observational Cohort Study

COVID-19 patients represent a new and distinct population in home health care. Little is known about health care utilization and incremental improvements in health for recovering COVID-19 patients after admission to home health care. Using a retrospective observational cohort study of 5452 episodes of home health care admitted to a New Jersey Home Health Agency between March 15 and May 31, 2020, this study describes COVID-19 Home Health Care (HHC) patients ( n = 842) and compare them to the general HHC population ( n = 4610). COVID HHC patients differ in significant ways from the typical HHC population. COVID patients were more likely to be 65 years of age and younger (41% vs 26%), be from a racial/ethnic minority (60% vs 31%), live with another person (85% vs 76%), have private insurance (28% vs 16%), and began HHC with greater independence in activities-of-daily-living (ADL/IADLs). COVID patients received fewer overall visits than their non-COVID counterparts (11.7 vs 16.3), although they had significantly more remote visits (1.7 vs 0.3). Multivariate analyses show that COVID patients early in the pandemic were 34% (CI, 28%-40%) less likely to be hospitalized and demonstrated significantly greater improvement in all the outcome measures examined compared to the general home health population.

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