Telehomecare: Virtual Visits from the Patient Home

Tele HomeCare is a demonstration telemedicine project focused on the delivery of home health care to elderly homebound patients who are receiving care for either congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or chronic wound healing. The telemedicine components of the study involve low-cost, standards-based videoconferencing and Internet access delivered over regular voice-grade telephone service and the patient’s television as well as physiological monitoring. This technology links the patient at home with a home care nurse at the home health agency. This is a randomized clinical trial with control and telemedicine intervention groups. Study design, technology details, and focus group and pilot study results are reported. Outcome measures, including quality of care, access, patient satisfaction, and cost factors, will be reported at the conclusion of the study.