Home Assessment and Variation Tracking Tool

Special FEATURE

Needed assessment pointers from home health industry expert, Joan Haizlip, MS, RN, of VNAFirst (JHaizlip@innovativehcs.com) and a glimpse at the Telehealth Services Outcomes Tracking Tool/CoStep from Innovative Health Solutions that all of us should know about and use.

With chronic disease management as a national agenda, agencies have to think “outside of the box” when it comes to telehealth. In the next three years, the Chronic Care Improvement Program (CCIP) trials will come to an end. Once again, we are going to see big changes in homecare, specifically, disease management will be at the forefront. And as CMS has already hinted in their RFP for the trials, telehealth will become a necessity.

Appropriate stratification of patients and careful examination of homes must be taught to all clinicians if agencies want to be successful in the new disease management market. Clinicians must look at homes with critical eyes to ensure that the telehealth equipment will be safe for 6-12 months. The checklist below highlights some of the areas of concern that agencies should be addressing in homes.

Home Checklist for Telehealth

Will small animals interfere with telehealth equipment?
Are children present or is there a possibility of children playing with the equipment?
Is the house safe for telehealth or is there a possibility of the equipment being stolen?
Is there a lot of noise in the room? Check for fish tanks, neon lights, humidifiers, fans, televisions, vent fan, scanners
Is there adequate lighting in the room? If the equipment is audiovisual, what is the lighting in the room at the time you will be making the “visit”? Assess the room at the appropriate time.
Can the telehealth equipment be left in the space occupied for 6-12 months if needed?
Can the patient hear well or is a speakerphone required? If the client has a noisy room, this needs to be evaluated regardless of the client’s hearing ability.
What is the patient’s heat source? If they are using a wood-burning fireplace, the soot can damage the equipment.
Is there adequate heat/ventilation in the room where the equipment will be located?
Is the house dirty/dusty? Dust can affect the equipment.
Is the telephone service appropriate, type of line, call waiting
Does client have a cell phone or CB radio? Fax machine? Other electronic equipment?
Are there three prong outlets or adaptors?
Is the home in an area that gets frequent electrical storms?

Telehealth will play an even more crucial role in the delivery of healthcare in our rural areas and it will be an essential component of disease management. Agencies must start thinking of telehealth as a long-term solution and a standard of care in chronic disease management. This may mean keeping telehealth in the home for 6months to a year. So home and patient assessment is a critical key!

For more information about the Telehealth Assessment Checklist or the VNA First Telehealth Home Care Steps Protocols, please visit our web site at www.innovativehcs.com or call us at 630-778-3478.

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