Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 17, 2020
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 16, 2020 - Oct 11, 2020
Date Accepted: Jun 21, 2021
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Video conferencing for home care delivery in Japan: an observational study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Telemedicine has been increasingly used in many healthcare fields including home care, where patients receive medical care at home. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the value of telemedicine via video-conferencing (VC) is more recognized particularly in allowing immobile patients to continue to receive care. However, the efficacy of telemedicine in home care settings in Japan remains to be fully appraised.
Objective:
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to identify the use and impacts of telemedicine in a singular home care delivery setting in Japan.
Methods:
Methods:
A retrospective observational study was undertaken using patient and other administrative records from the home care clinic. We considered patients who were involved in VC with the home care physicians and telepresenters servicing patients during 2018 and 2019. We extracted sociodemographic data of the patients and details of the VC and descriptively illustrated some specific cases.
Results:
Results:
In a home care clinic in Japan, VC was conducted in 17 cases (involving 14 patients) over the 2-year period. Of all the cases, two (11.8%) required emergency transfers and were hospitalized. In the remaining 15 cases (88.2%), 12 (70.6%) were thought to need extra medication or to go to a medical facility for consultation, while the remaining three (17.6%) were not thought to be in need of urgent attention and were ordered to rest. Problematic symptoms subsequently improved in 14 cases (82.3%), and only one patient (5.9%) was later hospitalized.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Telemedicine was deemed effective for assessing the patients’ condition in the home care setting in situations where home visits by a physician cannot be carried out. Our findings indicate that consultations via VC were safe and effective, suggesting more active use of VC in other clinical contexts.
Citation
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Copyright
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