Disease Management Program

No one?????

I cannot really be of any help here. My VNA has a telehealth but unfortunately it is not used often. We have a LPN who does set it up and monitor it.. when it is used it seems to work fairly well. I personally just set up my visits more frequently near the SOC to concentrate teaching - so I do not usually order telehealth.

As far as DM, awhile back the agency came up with some teaching care plans for the "major" diagnoses and meds (CHF, DM, Coumadin, insulin, dig) It was a check-off kinda list that we left in the folder in the patient's home so if a different nurse went out they know what needs to be taught and what just needs to be reviewed. That whole thing was a great idea but never really caught on either.

Anyhow, good luck to you!

Do any of you work in a agency that has a productive and successful DM/telehealth program. I would love to pick your brain.

I work for a small home owned (non-corporate) agency in West Texas.

Any help would be appreciated.

I am a male nurse with ADN and in my senior year of my BSN at TTHSC

Sorry I can't give you any advice right now, but I'm a HH nurse with a Canadian not-for-profit company. We're looking into ways to circumvent the gas situation, as is everybody I'm sure. Our manager let slip that they are looking into ways to incorporate telehealth technology into our practice as one way to do it. I'll be plying his brain to find out more when I get up to the office. We have a wound care nurse that's pretty finely spread throughout the area and with this kind of technology, we could get instant wound care advice while on the road. I see a real use for this in the very near future. More and more people are being discharged to home, earlier and much sicker than before and I think HH will be used more frequently as a way to avoid hospital overloads. The telehealth systems will only aid that goal.

I'll be glad to pass on more when I find out something! In the mean time, best of luck. Just think, you're on the forefront of an opportunity here!

Best,

Sue

Thanks peers,

I will be attending the Remington conference in Chicago next month which will be geared toward Disease Management and telehealth. Hopefully I'll pick up some hints.