Providing Specialty Telehealth Care to Older, Rural Patients: Voices From Field

Older, rural adults have limited access to quality geriatric specialty care for several reasons including relatively few geriatric specialists in rural areas and lack of transportation options or patient ability to travel to more urban centers. GRECC Connect is a promising telehealth-hub and spoke model that provides rural patients access to teams of multidisciplinary geriatric specialists in more urban medical centers primarily by video connection with affiliated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). This model provides a viable option for increasing access to geriatric specialty care for rural patients but is not used to the extent it could be. To date, much of our understanding of this model has come from the experts at the hub medical centers. To learn more about the experience of this model from the field we interviewed CBOC staff and providers as well as Veterans and their caregivers about geriatric specialty telehealth services. In this symposium we will discuss facilitators and barriers to implementing this model from the perspective of the field and then explore more deeply both the context of the CBOC environment and the older patient population served by rural CBOCs to further understand the challenges that are faced in attempting to connect older patients with telehealth services. Finally, we will share the perceived value of the service and alignment with local needs. This deeper understanding of the experience of the ‘spoke’ may help enhance access to much needed geriatric specialty care for rural veterans.

Is Cancer History Related to Neurologic Specialty Care in Patients with Dementia?

Background The incidence and prevalence of aging-related diseases such as dementia and cancer are increasing, as are cancer survival rates. Cancer and its treatments have been associated with cognitive effects for those who later develop dementia. Guidelines have suggested that cancer patients return to follow-up in primary care following remission and be referred to specialists for cognitive complications, but it is unclear how well these guidelines are followed. Methods Electronic health record data at the University of Alabama at Birmingham were extracted from July 2003 May 2020. Rates of specialty care utilization on or after dementia diagnosis were compared by cancer history status in adults 50 years old or older at dementia diagnosis. Predictors of specialty care utilization were examined using logistic regression. Results Rate of specialty care utilization was lower for those with cancer history compared to those without on the date of dementia diagnosis (11.3% vs. 17.1%) and after diagnosis (13.5% vs. 19.2%). Older age at dementia diagnosis, non-Hispanic Black race, anticholinergic burden, socioeconomic status, and vascular risk factors were associated with lower odds of specialty care utilization. Dementia medication use was associated with higher odds of specialty care utilization on and after dementia diagnosis. Conclusions Cancer survivors with a dementia diagnosis are less likely to utilize specialty care than those with no history of cancer. Several factors predicted specialty care utilization. Additional studies should assess potential barriers in referring cancer survivors to specialty care for cognitive impairment.

Another Set of Eyes: Recipients’ Views of the Benefits of Geriatric Specialty Telehealth Services

The aim of GRECC Connect is to increase access to specialty care for medically complex, older, rural patients through e-consultations and telehealth visits. We interviewed 50 outpatient clinic staff and providers as well as 30 patients and caregivers about these services. Overall, the services were considered beneficial. For patients and caregivers, services alleviated the stress and cost of travel, they improved quality of life by increasing their understanding of the progression of an illness and providing treatment and guidance to increase patient functioning and reduce disruptive behaviors, and they eased anxiety associated with not receiving needed care. Having ‘another set of eyes’ on the patients reduced stress and anxiety for providers. Concerns included alignment of telehealth modality with the capabilities of older patients with cognitive problems, hearing loss and/or limited technological abilities and, for some providers, that the referral for and recommendations resulting from the service added to their workload.