Using Technology for Telemedicine Programs

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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

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TelAbility (http//www.telability.org)

• An Internet-Based
• Telehealth Program For
• Young Children with Disabilities

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WATCH

• Wake Area
• Telehealth Collaborative
• Helping Children
• with special needs

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Inclusive Child Care Centers

• Tammy Lynn Center
• White Plains Childrens Center
• Learning Together
• Carolina Child Development Center
• UCP/Charlie Gaddy Center
• Lucy Daniels Center
• Project Enlightenment

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Residential Care

• Hilltop Home
• Tammy Lynn Center

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Service Programs

• Community Partnerships for Children
• Learning Together
• Easter Seals UCP- Childrens Therapy Services
• Project Enlightenment
• Lucy Daniels Center

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State Agencies

• The Raleigh Childrens Developmental Services
  Agency (ages birth-3)
• Wake County Preschool Services (ages 3-5)

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Current Programming

• Website Content /Expertise Directory
• List serv
• Newsletters
• Videoconferencing

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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.

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Expertise Directory

• 2005 60
• 2007 280

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• Expertise Directory
• Handouts
• Links
• Calendar
• Books
• Articles
• Videos
• More!

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WATCH_at_listserv.unc.edu

• 2005 29
• 2007 237

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Electronic Newsletter

• Subscribers 400
• Website Updates
• Event Listings
• Center Descriptions
• Article Reviews
• Tips and Topics
• Project Updates

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Videoconferencing
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Video Conference Usage Statistics
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• In total, over the past 16 months of the WATCH
  Project
• 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)

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WATCH Benefits for Providers

• 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

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WATCH Benefits for Parents

• The ability to schedule video clinic or
  consultation time with a MD, therapist, or
  specialist who has access to a video conference
  unit.
• 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)
• Reduces travel time and costs. Eliminates the
  need to find parking, wait in waiting rooms, and
  navigate hospitals or service agencies.
• Increased collaboration and communication with
  everyone involved in the childs care.
• Increased learning opportunities for parents and
  teachers.

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Challenges

• 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

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Lessons Learned

• 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, its still hard to
  convince therapist to conduct consults and
  clinics via videoconference even when providing
  monetary reimbursement

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Future Goals
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End-user Locations
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Questions?

• Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed
• jsimpvos_at_med.unc.edu
• Joshua J. Alexander, MD
• joshua_alexander _at_med.unc.edu
• TelAbility/WATCH
• 1101 Weaver Dairy Road
• Suite 202
• Chapel Hill, NC 27514
• http//www.telability.org