Theme 7. Clinical innovations keeping people at home and out of the hospital
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn about the value, effectiveness and availability of Telehomecare, which connects patients to their healthcare teams in real time for monitoring and coaching. Data will highlight how Telehomecare is helping to shift resources from hospital-based acute and ER care to a more proactive, community-based model. Participants will gain an understanding of how Telehomecare helps patients remain independent and optimize their health using self-management skills, bridging the gap between appointments, increasing access to care and making better use of healthcare resources. Participants will also learn how to refer patients or start their own Telehomecare program in their FHT.
Summary
The evolution of Telehomecare will be the focus of the panel presentation, led by Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) CEO Dr. Ed Brown. Telehomecare brings together specially trained clinicians and simple technology to coach patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and/or congestive heart failure (CHF) to monitor vital signs and manage their health at home. Offered in eight LHINs in Ontario through hospitals and Community Care Access Centres, Telehomecare has been delivered to more than 5,000 patients to date. It enhances patient confidence and self-management skills significantly, avoiding unnecessary ER visits and reducing inpatient hospitalizations. Telehomecare is now expanding to target patients with COPD and/or CHF with diabetes as a comorbidity, as well as patients with chronic complex needs. To enhance accessibility, the program is now being offered in a format that can be tailored to smaller, individual sites, to accommodate particular needs and resources. The panel will feature a Telehomecare physician “champion”, a representative involved in the diabetes pilot and a representative from a Family Health Team involved in a pilot for patients withchronic complex needs. They will highlight how expansion of Telehomecare across Ontario can offer the community supports to manage chronic disease and prevent exacerbations, promoting improved access to care for enrolled patients and reduced healthcare resource utilization.
Presenters
- Dr. Ed Brown, CEO, Ontario Telemedicine Network
- Co-presenters TBD
Authors and Contributors
- Ontario Telemedicine Network:
- Shelley Morris, Engagement & Implementation Lead
- Kimindra Tiwana, Engagement & Implementation Lead