scholarly journals A transition towards digital home visits in social care and home health care during the corona pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Ahlin ◽  
Magnus Zingmark ◽  
Thomas Persson Slumpi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Web Survey ◽  
Technical Equipment ◽  
Digital Home ◽  
Home Health Service

Abstract Background: Physical meetings are favoured in social care and home health service in Sweden, both when it comes to internal meetings or home visits at citizens residence. During the pandemic, physical meetings were supposed to decrease as much as possible to avoid the virus to spread. One solution was to digitize as many meetings as possible. Transforming meetings from physical to digital is not without flaws, especially not when it comes to meetings with citizens needing care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the transition toward increased use of digital home visits in social care and home health care in a Swedish municipality. Results: A web survey was sent out to understand which meetings could be transformed into digital meetings and related challenges. The web-survey was sent to co-workers in home health care and social care in a middle-seized municipality in Sweden and included questions with predetermined and open-ended answers. The results showed that not all meetings could be transformed, like meetings with citizens with hearing or cognitive impairments. Challenges related to the transformation were instability in technical equipment, the professions’ and citizens’ knowledge of handling technical equipment, and access to technical equipment support.Conclusions: Despite the challenges did the co-workers digitize meetings whenever possible, adding operational and problem-solving attitude to the transformation. Due to this study’s limitation, like respondents from one municipality and the pandemic’s length, we intend to investigate further and understand the development of the transformation and how knowledge in the area increases.

Urban Neighborhood Characteristics and the Spatial Distribution of Home and Community-Based Service Organizations in Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110050
Author(s):  
Min Hee Kim ◽  
Philippa J. Clarke ◽  
Ruth E. Dunkle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Living in a neighborhood with dense HCBS organizations can promote older adults’ health and well-being and may mitigate health disparities generated by living in materially deprived urban neighborhoods. Using 2016 US County Business Patterns and the American Community Survey (2013–2017), focused on 516 ZIP Codes in Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Areas, this study examines the association between neighborhood characteristics and the relative density of businesses offering services for older adults and persons with disabilities (e.g., senior centers, adult day service centers, personal care) and businesses offering home health care. Results from a series of spatial econometric models show that social care organization density tends to be high in neighborhoods with a greater number of residents who have a bachelor’s degree, who are older, and who are in poverty. Home health care density was not explained by neighborhood factors. Multiple neighborhood socio-demographic indicators explain the spatial distribution of social care organizations.

scholarly journals Patient Knowledge and Understanding of Home Health Services Criteria

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Philip Collins ◽  
Stuti Jha ◽  
Alison Mancuso ◽  
John Bertagnolli ◽  
Sondra De Antonio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Patient Knowledge ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Definition Of

Context: This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of patients’ understanding of homebound criteria and house call eligibility. Objective: To date, little empirical data exists assessing patient knowledge of home health care services. This study is designed to examine patients’ understanding of home health care services, eligibility criteria, costs, and interest in house calls. Methods: This study used an anonymous survey developed by the researchers and provided to patients in four separate office locations at a large academic Family Medicine practice. Questions about homebound criteria, eligibility, out of pocket cost, and patient interest were asked. Results: In total 393 surveys were collected. Approximately 47 percent of all respondents in the survey showed interest in having a home care visit by a healthcare professional, while only 59.6 percent were able to accurately identify the definition of homebound status. Approximately 60 percent of all respondents believe that they will have to pay more out of pocket for home visits, and the subgroup of respondents who have an interest in home visits showed that 63.4 percent of that group think that they will have to pay more out of pocket for such visits. Conclusion: These data have the potential to inform medical providers of a lack of understanding among patients regarding homebound criteria and home health care in general. While further studies could examine more specific details of this potential knowledge gap, the information provided by this study could prompt providers to begin educating patients on the possibility of home care.

The Role of Pharmacists in Home Health Care: A Study Set in a Regional Hospital in Taipei City

2021 ◽  
pp. 108482232110164
Author(s):  
Mei-Ju Chen ◽  
Feng-Hsia Kao
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Barthel Index ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Barthel Index Score ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Level Of Consciousness

In response to population aging, there is an increase in demand for the coverage of and the necessary services provided by home health care and home care for socially vulnerable groups. This study explored whether the instructions and recommendations offered by pharmacists during their home visits play a key role in the factors that influence a patient’s prognosis. A home health care database was analyzed in this study. The subjects received home visits from pharmacists. There were 262 subjects following the exclusion of closed cases that were not due to improved outcomes or death. To validate the research framework, multiple regression analysis was employed for model validation. The level of consciousness and Barthel Index score mediated the effects of multimorbidities, and these mediating effects significantly affected patient outcomes (improvement or death). The medication-related knowledge and instructions for correct medication use provided by pharmacists did not exhibit significant moderating effects on the influence of a patient’s level of consciousness and Barthel Index score on their improved outcomes. However, the pharmacists’ provision of instructions and recommendations for patient self-care had significant moderating effects on the path by which patients with multimorbidities experienced improved outcomes through higher total Barthel Index scores. In comparison with physician home visits, which merely cover the treatments for diseases, pharmacists also play a vital role in home health care. Pharmacists provide patients with medication-related knowledge and instructions for correct medication use. This study addressed aspects that have not been considered in previous studies.

scholarly journals From village health volunteers to paid care givers: the optimal mix for a multidisciplinary home health care workforce in rural Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nonglak Pagaiya ◽  
Thinakorn Noree ◽  
Penapa Hongthong ◽  
Karnwarin Gongkulawat ◽  
Pagaluk Padungson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Care Givers ◽  
Rural Thailand

Abstract Background Thailand is a rapidly aging society, which places high demand on home health care services for the elderly. The shortage of health care workforce in rural areas is a crucial obstacle to the delivery of adequate home health care services. The appropriate skill-mix between multidisciplinary health team and care givers (CGs) is an attractive solution for improving home health care services in rural Thailand. This study assessed the potential of trained CGs to provide home health care services and projected what the optimal mix for a multidisciplinary home health care team in rural Thailand would be in 2030. Methods Eleven pilot districts in Thailand were recruited for the study. Secondary data were collected along with surveys of home health care providers. A total of 130 care managers (nurses) and 351 care givers (CG) were recruited for the survey. Workload, skill-mix potential, and acceptance of care givers were assessed in the surveys. The results from secondary data and the survey were used to project the health workforce requirements in 2030. Results It is projected that in 2030 the number of elderly living in rural areas will be 7,156,700 (27% of the projected rural population). Of this, 20.3% will be home-bound, 1.1% will be bed-ridden and 1.6% will need rehabilitation. The main members of the multidisciplinary health workforce involved in home health care were nurses, doctors, and physiotherapists. The home health care services that were provided by the multidisciplinary health workforce included patient assessment, development of a care plan and case conference, home visits, and teaching and supervision of CGs. The CGs were village health volunteers trained to carry out regular home visits to patients. The CGs provided assistance with the activities of daily living, basic health services, moral support to patients and relatives, and surveillance of the home environment during home visits. CGs were well accepted by both the health professionals and the patients. Projections showed that 16,094 nurses, 1,542 doctors, 1,022 physiotherapists and 50,148 CGs will be required in 2030 to meet the needs of the dependent elderly for home health care in rural Thailand. Conclusion With the increased need for home health care services in the future, appropriate team work between the members of the multidisciplinary health team and the CGs in the community is the appropriate solution for likely shortages of health professional workforce.

Digital Home Health Care: Culture-Specific Observations in Saudi Arabia (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz A Alodhayani ◽  
Marwah Mazen Hassounah ◽  
Fatima R Qadri ◽  
Noura A Abouammoh ◽  
Zakiuddin Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Health Program ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Design And Implementation

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of the need to consider cultural factors in the design and implementation of digital health interventions. However, there is still inadequate knowledge pertaining to what aspects of the Saudi Arabian culture need to be considered in the design and implementation of digital health programs, especially in the context of home health care services for chronically and terminally ill patients. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the specific cultural factors relating to patients and their caregivers from the perspective of physicians, nurses, and trainers that have influenced the pilot implementation of Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home (RAHAH); a connected health program in the Home Health Care Department at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS A qualitative study design was adopted to conduct a focus group discussion (FGD) in July 2019 using a semi-structured interview guide with 3 female and 4 male participants working as nurses, family physicians, and information technologists. Qualitative data obtained were analyzed using a thematic framework analysis. RESULTS Two categories emerged from the FGD that influenced the experiences of digital health program intervention: (1) culture-related factors including language and communication, cultural views on using cameras during consultation, non-adherence to online consultations, and family role and commitment (2) caregiver characteristics in telemedicine that includes their skills and education and electronic literacy. Participants of this study revealed that indirect contact with the patients and their family members may work as a barrier to proper communication through RAHAH. CONCLUSIONS We recommend exploring the use of interpreters in digital health, creating awareness among the local population regarding privacy in digital health, and actively involving the direct family members with the healthcare providers.

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