The clinical achievements of a geriatric telehealth project in its first year

We performed a feasibility study to test the validity of conducting two standard cognitive assessments via videoconferencing. There was a high correlation between the scores from a face-to-face assessment and those from a videoconference. A second trial was conducted with patients living in a rural community, examined both face to face and via videoconferencing. Again, the validity and reliability of the assessment tools were demonstrated for videoconferencing. The acceptability of the technology to patients and clinicians was also shown. As a result of the trials and at the request of rural participants, geriatric telehealth services are now being provided to a rural aged care assessment team (ACAT) on a fee-for-service basis. The success of this project is reflected in its senior clinical and academic 'champions', the establishment of a dedicated telehealth resource and the development of protocols.