19) Investigating Time-Savings of an
Asynchronous Telehealth Diagnostic
Method for Autism 20) Teleconnectivity Reaching Rural Areas
in High Risk Obstetrics
Ronald Oberleitner, MBA 1 , Christopher Smith, PhD 2 , Gwen Mitchell
PhD 3 , Catherine Rice PhD 4 , Michael Morrier PhD 4 , Uwe Reischl,
MD, PhD 5 Regional Obstetrical Consultants
1
Behavior Imaging, 2 Southwestern Autism Research and Resource
Center, 3 University of Idaho, 4 Emory University Autism Center,
5
Boise State University Health Sciences
Families referred for a developmental evaluation for their
children routinely face long wait lists, and access is especially
hard for underserved populations living in rural communities.
Three autism clinics that provide diagnostic and treatment
services participated in a study that examined time differences
between traditional and telehealth autism assessments.
Recruitment included families from both urban and rural areas
in 3 States. Each participating family was assigned to either the
traditional in-person assessment (IPA) or assessment through
the smartphone-based Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic
Assessment (NODA™) method. A total of 57 families were
enrolled, of which 11 were from rural communities. 28 families
were assigned the NODA method and 29 families were assessed
via the IPA method. The average total time associated with
obtaining an ASD assessment using the IPA method was 118
days as compared to 59 days using the NODA method. Families
were asked to complete a questionnaire immediately after the
assessment was completed (before receiving the report) and
again 3-months after receiving the center’s diagnostic report.
No within-group differences were observed between the rural
and urban families. The response to the
3-month post-project survey indicated that
families in the NODA group had a
slightly less favorable opinion about
the diagnostic assessment process
in comparison to the families who
completed the traditional IPA method.
However, families reported they
were agreeable to using a similar
telehealth tool to facilitate treatment.
The results showed that the NODA
method shortened the overall
time required to complete an ASD
symptom assessment, while providing
acceptable levels of satisfaction for
the families involved.
Kathy Ogden, RN, MSHA, MBA, and Jose Compton, APN-C
Background: The second leading cause of infant mortality is
short gestational periods and/or low birth weight. Tele/video
connectivity helps brings state of the art care to the rural area
for women with risk factors that may affect their pregnancy.
Methods: High tech, High touch. Through a referral-based
system to the high risk OB or Maternal Fetal Medicine
specialist, (MFM), the patient is seen at the rural health site by
a specialized sonographer and a midlevel provider, the MFM is
connected via video conference as the patient is being scanned
and examined. The physician is “live” via videoconference and
can view the patient’s scans in real time. The MFM can ask the
patient questions directly and provide care and direction at the
time of the patient visit.
Results: To date there have been nearly 40,000 virtual
consultations. Gestational age at delivery of greater than 37
weeks reached 88% in this first quarter. Newborn Nursery vs.
Intensive Care Nursery from 2013 to the first quarter of 2018
was 93% Newborn nursery stays to 7% NICU admissions, while
transfer rates to a perinatal center after delivery for the first
quarter of 2018 was only 1%. This is definitely lower than the
national average for NICU admissions and tertiary care transfers.
Therefore, the technology enables better outcomes, optimizes
supply and demand, and as a result, is good for the organizational
bottom line, but more importantly good for the patient.
Sponsor
Telemedicine Telehealth Service Provider Summit
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