As Blackburn noted, it's important to get all staff onboard in the early stages. Not only do physicians have questions about how comprehensive the care can be via telemedicine, but other staff from IT and accounting services often have questions about the changes the new service will bring.

 

To get physicians onboard, Blackburn relied on research from Heartland TRC's Janine Gracy. Gracy shared a number of case studies from Heartland TRC's service areas in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma that demonstrate the benefits and outcomes of telemedicine services. "You bring in those facts and those figures to a physician and they are at least more likely to hear what you're saying," Blackburn said.

 

For hospitals wanting to implement telemedicine services, Blackburn advises telemedicine supporters to be aware and prepared for potential apprehension and concern. "You have to be prepared for those who are going to disagree with you. You' re going to have to be there with facts and figures. [And show] this has worked before, this is where it has worked and this is how it can work for us."

For assistance scaling up your telehealth program, contact HTRC at 877-643-HTRC. 

Developed by University of Missouri researchers, MoodTrek is an app that allows patients struggling with depression to log their moods, sleep patterns, and activity levels. Unlike traditional handwritten mood logs, the app lets patients record their data on their smartphones and share it with psychiatrists in order to track progress between visits. These data then help psychiatrists provide better care. Users are also linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for patients in crisis. The app is free for download on Android devices. Apple versions will be available in the future.

 

Many assisted living facilities and hospitals in Missouri and across the nation offer monitoring systems for residents to manage patients' care while also offering peace of mind to family members who may live far away from loved ones. Now a team from University of Missouri's Sinclair School of Nursing and the College of Engineering has created a new wireless sensor system that provides round the clock monitoring of residents' health, and can actually predict health problems or falls before they happen. A series of sensors monitors patients' vital signs and sleep, and movement sensors use patients' silhouettes to evaluate movement and gate. Based on these data, researchers are able to calculate residents' risk of falling, as well as detect other health problems in advance--up to ten days before patients feel themselves falling ill. Currently the sensor system is being piloted in a few private homes and is hoped to expand in the future.