Outcomes of the Kaiser Permanente Tele-Home Health Research Project

• HIT Description: Remote video technology More info...
  
• Purpose of Study: Evaluate the use of remote video technology in the home health setting
  
• Years of study: 1996-1997
  
• Study Design: Quasi-experimental
  
• Outcomes: Quality of care, access to care, patient satisfaction, costs
  

• Settings: Home health department located in Sacramento, California as part of a large health maintenance organization
• Intervention: Video visits in addition to the regular home-health visits for the intervention group
• Evaluation Method: collection of patient survey and interview data for both control and intervention populations
• HIT System: Home video system allowed the patient and the nurse to see and communicate in real-time, as well as an analog stethoscope, digital blood pressure machine and magnifying lens.
• Costs: $1,830 per patient in the intervention group (vs. $1,167 for control group members on average)
• Quality of Care and Patient Safety Outcome: no differences in the quality indicators (medication compliance, knowledge of disease, and ability of self-care) were observed.
• Changes in healthcare costs: Increased cost of home health services in intervention group ($1,830 vs. $1,167) but decreased average total cost of care ($1,948 vs. $2,674).
• Changes in efficiency and productivity: Allowed one nurse to visit 15-20 patients virtually per day (vs. 5-6 patients with control intervention)�