Satisfaction for Seniors
Despite improved outcomes and cost savings, home telehealth adoption would be impossible without the buy-in of the two sets of people who are most impacted by the technology: patients and staff. As telehealth technology increasing becomes more common, and its success stories and data are reported upon, it appears that both groups are responding enthusiastically to telehealth services.
Home care agencies that provide telehealth services reported that improvement in overall quality was the single most important strategy in getting clinical staff buy-in. Only 21% percent of these agencies reported that their care managers and nursing staff were not receptive to the implementation of home telehealth; however, after one year of providing telehealth services, this number dropped to 12%. Conversely, 64% of agencies reported that their care managers were receptive or very receptive to implementing telehealth. That number grew to 77% after one year of providing services (Fazzi Associates, 2008)
Staff acceptance of telehealth clearly increases with use. Likewise, patients are also increasingly satisfied with telehealth. Over 71% of home care agencies that use patient satisfaction monitoring services said that their telehealth improved their patients' levels of satisfaction. Additionally, almost 80% of respondents claimed that their patients or family members were reluctant to have the telemonitoring system removed at discharge (Fazzi Associates, 2008)
Home telehealth allows patients to be treated, convalesce, age, and manage their own conditions with dignity, in the comfortable and familiar surroundings of their homes.
