Transcript The TelAbility Project Using Telecommunications to Improve

Using Technology for
Telemedicine Programs
The WATCH Project
Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed, Joshua J. Alexander, MD
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Medicine
TelAbility
(http://www.telability.org)
An Internet-Based
Telehealth Program For
Young Children with Disabilities
WATCH
Wake Area
Telehealth Collaborative
Helping Children
with special needs
Inclusive Child
Care Centers
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Tammy Lynn Center
White Plains Children’s
Center
Learning Together
Carolina Child Development
Center
UCP/Charlie Gaddy Center
Lucy Daniels Center
Project Enlightenment
Residential Care
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Hilltop Home
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Tammy Lynn Center
Service Programs
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Community Partnerships for Children
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Learning Together
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Easter Seals UCP- Children’s Therapy
Services
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Project Enlightenment
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Lucy Daniels Center
State Agencies
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The Raleigh Children’s
Developmental
Services Agency (ages
birth-3)
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Wake County Preschool
Services (ages 3-5)
Current
Programming
Website Content /Expertise Directory
List serv
Newsletters
Videoconferencing
Building a Community of Practice
“A group of people who share a concern, set of
problems, or passion about a topic and who deepen
their knowledge and expertise in this area by
interaction on an ongoing basis.”
Expertise
Directory
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2005 = 60
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2007 = 280
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Expertise Directory
Handouts
Links
Calendar
Books
Articles
Videos
More!
[email protected].
edu
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2005= 29
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2007= 237
Electronic
Newsletter
Subscribers= 400+
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Website Updates
Event Listings
Center Descriptions
Article Reviews
Tips and Topics
Project Updates
Videoconferencing
Video Conference
Usage Statistics
18
16
14
12
Education
Networking
Video Clinics
Administration
Consultation
10
8
6
4
2
0
2005
2006
2007
In total, over the past 16 months
of the WATCH Project:
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679 people have participated in videoconference
sessions
The average satisfaction rating for video
conference sessions is 4.4 (out of 5)
The average comfort level for video conference
sessions is 4.6 (out of 5)
WATCH Benefits
for Providers
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Responsive to their needs and interests
Provides increased professional development and
education opportunities
Offers opportunities for increased collaboration with
other locations and professionals
Allows sites to establish mentoring relationships with
other therapists or teachers
WATCH sites can schedule clinic or consultation time
via the video conference unit
Evaluations/assessments/meetings can be held
between parents, therapists, CDSA staff
Reduces travel time and costs
WATCH Benefits
for Parents
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The ability to schedule video clinic or consultation time with a
MD, therapist, or specialist who has access to a video
conference unit.
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The opportunity to schedule meetings, evaluations, or
assessments with teachers, therapists, CDSA Child Service
Coordinators, or other administrators or specialists who have
access to a video conference unit. (ex. IFSP update meetings,
questions, etc)
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Reduces travel time and costs. Eliminates the need to find
parking, wait in waiting rooms, and navigate hospitals or service
agencies.
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Increased collaboration and communication with everyone
involved in the child’s care.
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Increased learning opportunities for parents and teachers.
Challenges
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Lack of technical knowledge and support at sites
Sustainable funds to cover the costs of high speed
internet connection to operate units at each site
Hosting large multipoint video conference sessions
Buy in/consistent participation from all sites
Establishing a public network/technical support
issues
Lessons Learned
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Need for consistent, knowledgable, easily accessible IT support person
Public network system has been unreliable.
A border controller may help reduce the current unpredictability of our
exisiting system.
Specified project director position is necessary to coordinate
communication and activities within the project and be point person for
IT problems
Needs assessments of each site and frequent communication with
WATCH Members has allowed our project to take an organic and
responsive approach
The WATCH network is made up of sites with specific expertise to help
meet the collective needs of the members
Professional development and small group case study discussions
have been of great interest, have proven very successful and have
been well attended
Despite the convenience, it’s still hard to convince therapist to conduct
consults and clinics via videoconference even when providing monetary
reimbursement
Future Goals
End-user Locations
Questions?
Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed
[email protected]
Joshua J. Alexander, MD
joshua_alexander @med.unc.edu
TelAbility/WATCH
1101 Weaver Dairy Road
Suite 202
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
http://www.telability.org