JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Occupational therapists (OTs) working in hospitals need to assess patients’ home environment in preparation for hospital discharge in order to provide recommendations (e.g. technical aids) to support their independence and safety. Home visits increase performance in everyday activities and decrease the risk of falls. However, in some countries, home visits are rarely made prior to hospital discharge due to the cost and time involved. In most cases, OTs rely on an interview with the patient or a caregiver to assess the home. Videoconferencing using a portable device appears to be a potential innovative solution for assessing the patient's home environment and providing more precise and appropriate recommendations.

Objective:

The aim of this study is: 1) to explore the added value of using mobile videoconferencing compared to the standard procedure and 2) to document the clinical feasibility of using mobile videoconferencing to assess the patient’s home environment.

Methods:

Eight triads (6 OTs, 8 patients, and 8 caregivers) experimented mobile videoconferencing. The use of mobile videoconferencing generally led OTs to modify the initial intervention plan produced after the standard interview. OTs and caregivers are able to perceive the benefit of using mobile videoconferencing (e.g., the possibility to provide real-time comments or feedback). They also see the disadvantages thereof (e.g., videoconferencing requires additional time and greater availability of caregivers). Some OTs believe that mobile videoconferencing adds value to assessment, while others don’t.

Results:

Eight triads (6 OTs, 8 patients, and 8 caregivers) experimented mobile videoconferencing. The use of mobile videoconferencing generally led OTs to modify the initial intervention plan produced after the standard interview. OTs and caregivers perceived a greater number of advantages than disadvantages of mobile videoconferencing. However, the importance given by OTs to the disadvantages led to mixed results as regards the added value of mobile videoconferencing.

Conclusions:

Using mobile videoconferencing in the context of hospital discharge planning raised clinical feasibility issues. Although mobile videoconferencing provides multiple benefits to hospital discharge, including more appropriate occupational therapist recommendations, time constraints made it more difficult to perceive the added value. However, with smartphone use, interdisciplinary team involvement, and patient participation in the virtual visit, mobile videoconferencing can become an asset to hospital discharge planning.