Telemedicine

About Home Services and Telecare

  • Carle Home Services has been providing in-home telecare since December 1999 - the only Illinois location conducting in-home teleconsults outside the Chicago area.
  • Carle's program can provide care to any patient. The program has concentrated on cardiology patients - primarily those with congestive heart failure and patients requiring complex wound care in the home at Carle. The tele-visits are done either in addition to actual in-home skilled nursing visits, or are continued after the patient is discharged from homecare services.
  • Carle Home Services has serviced a total of 35 patients. They service up to 20 patients per month. They make an average of 120 videovisits per month.
  • Carle Home Care uses two different video units. These units use a regular phone line in the patient’s home, so no additional telephone lie or special line is needed. For cardiology consults they use the American Telecare's Aviva 1010 patient unit. This has a built-in analogue stethoscope and blood pressure cuff so the home health nurse can accurately gauge any changes in blood pressure and heart rate.
  • For in-home wound assessments, a smaller unit is being used, called a VIA TV videophone (Interlogix,Inc., formerly 8x8, Inc.). These units do not have the peripherals, such as stethoscopes or blood pressure, but are small, portable units that have an enclosed camera. This enables not only an assessment but a digital picture to be taken of the wound. A picture of the wound can then be transmitted to the physician.
  • The goal of this grant-funded project is to see if the addition of tele-homecare resulted in fewer hospitalizations and ER visits. A twelve-month comparison is used to compare patients to their former hospitalization and ER visit record.
  • In the case of wound care assessments; the program will evaluate the number of re-hospitalizations and reduction of time it takes for the wound to heal.

For more information about Carle Home Services TeleHomecare program, contact any of the following individuals at (217) 383-3488:

  • Chris Fouse, RN, primary for the Telemedicine cardiology patients
  • Alice Kerkering, RN primary for the Telemedicine wound patients
  • Ellen McComb, Carle Home Care Manager
  • Susan Ruwe, Carle Home Care Supervisor
  • Julie Bowen, Carle Home Care Supervisor

Selection Criteria For Determining TeleHomemedicine Need

Criteria:

  • Patient willing to participate in the Telemedicine program.
  • Patient is seen by Carle Home care.
  • Patient has a functioning phone line.
  • Patient is able to perform self-care or has a willing and able caregiver.
  • Patient is under the care of a licensed physician.
  • Patient is agreeable to participating and being compliant with an established home care treatment plan.
  • Patient has complex and/or daily medical needs that require the skilled nursing intervention.

Examples of patients who would benefit from TeleHomemedicine:

  • Patients who require frequent hospitalization and/or emergency room assessment.
  • Patients who require chronic disease management.
  • Patients with wound and/or ostomy care.
  • Patients on IV therapy at home.
  • Hospice patients.
  • Patients with educational needs on medications and/or disease management.
  • Patients who have distance and/or transportation issues.
  • Patients where more frequent assessment would increase patient compliance.