Increasing specialty care access through use of an innovative home telehealth-based spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP)

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2016 · DOI: 10.1179/2045772314Y.0000000202 · Published: January 1, 2016

Spinal Cord Injury Healthcare Telehealth & Digital Health

Simple Explanation

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) uses nurse-led home telehealth programs to give patients educational content and help them manage their symptoms. The aim is to improve access to specialized care and lessen problems that might lead to hospital admissions or emergency room visits. A spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP) was developed to address the unique needs of individuals living with spinal cord injuries. The SCI DMP uses data messaging devices (DMDs) to provide more frequent contact and communication with healthcare providers. The SCI DMP is a program that includes questions about symptoms, educational needs, and self-management behavior. The DMDs allow this information to be shared between the patients and the medical staff.

Study Duration

6 Months

Participants

33 male patients with SCI/D

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Patients found the SCI DMP most helpful for new injuries and those with recurring clinical needs.
2
The use of SCI DMP led to a decrease in the severity of comorbid conditions, including urinary tract infections and pain.
3
Both physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) improved after 6 months of SCI DMP management.

Research Summary

The SCI DMP pilot program evaluated a telehealth approach to managing patients with spinal cord injuries. The program involved patients using data messaging devices to respond to questions about their health, and nurse care coordinators monitored the responses. Feedback from nurses and patients was used to improve the SCI DMP content, clinical flow processes, and care management practices. The program was found to be beneficial, especially for newly injured patients and those living far from specialty care facilities. The study showed improvements in patient health outcomes and quality of life, suggesting that the SCI DMP has a positive impact. The SCI DMP provides a means to monitor the unique medical, physical, functional, and psychosocial issues that veterans and their caregivers face in the home setting.

Practical Implications

Improved Access to Specialty Care

Telehealth programs can help overcome barriers to accessing specialized care, particularly for patients living far from SCI centers.

Enhanced Patient Self-Management

The SCI DMP supports patients in managing their health conditions and promotes healthy lifestyle practices through frequent education and intervention.

Need for Tailored Content and Technologies

Future efforts should focus on tailoring SCI DMP content to individual patient needs and integrating multiple telehealth technologies to improve care coordination.

Study Limitations

1
The sample size for clinical outcome measures was small and limited to one site.
2
Lack of scientific rigor and standardization may have introduced biases or confounding factors.
3
There is a lack of normative and population-specific data available to benchmark for comparison.

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