While telehealth in nursing homes helps reduce stress among nursing home residents and expand access to care, there are also a number of drawbacks, according to a recent study published in the Applied Clinical Informatics journal.
Researchers from the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing in Columbia and Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City conducted interviews with 21 nursing home administrators and clinicians from 16 U.S. facilities.
Four sub-themes on the benefits of telehealth's use in nursing homes emerged: avoiding travel for residents; saving organizational resources; improved access to care; and enhanced communication.
Telehealth may reduce stress among residents by eliminating the need for hospital transfers in some cases, researchers said.
"Transporting a resident to the hospital can be a very traumatic and stressful experience," said Kimberly Powell, PhD, RN, lead study author and assistant professor at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. "Whether it's a fall in the middle of the night or a sudden change in vitals, if a nurse can quickly hop on a Zoom call with a resident and make an assessment, perhaps an intervention plan can be developed that allows the resident to be treated in the nursing home, which saves time, money and an unnecessary transfer to the hospital."
Researchers also found five common themes on the drawbacks of telehealth in nursing homes: residents' preference for in-person encounters; worsening social isolation; difficulty for residents with cognitive impairment; workflow and tech usability challenges; and increased burden on nursing home staff and infrastructure.
For some residents, a visit to their physician's office may be an outing they look forward to, Dr. Powell said. "It may be their only chance each month to get fresh air and go out in the community, so taking that opportunity away can be difficult for some. Additionally, telehealth can be confusing for residents with cognitive impairments, as they may not understand how a physician is interacting with them digitally."
The key takeaway from interviews with facility administrators and clinicians: "While telehealth can be very convenient and beneficial, it should not be viewed as a one-size-fits-all solution, and this study helped us see various nuances involved," Dr. Powell said.