The Benefits of Telemedicine for Seniors: A Practical Guide for Families Planning Senior Care

1. What can telemedicine do well?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.).

For what can telemedicine do well? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 3 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 1, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 4 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

2. Who may benefit from a video visit?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 5 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For who may benefit from a video visit? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 6 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 2, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 7 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

3. What should be ready before the appointment?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 8 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For what should be ready before the appointment? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 9 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 3, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 10 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

4. How can privacy and consent be protected?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 12 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For how can privacy and consent be protected? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 13 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 4, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 14 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

5. When is video care not enough?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 15 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For when is video care not enough? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 16 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 5, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 17 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

6. How can a caregiver support without taking over?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 18 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For how can a caregiver support without taking over? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 19 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 6, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 20 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

7. What follow-up reduces missed details?

Telemedicine can make routine care easier to reach, but it is not a substitute for every examination. Video or telephone visits can be useful for follow-up conversations, medication questions, review of home measurements, behavioral concerns, and deciding whether an in-person visit is needed. The clinician decides whether remote care is clinically appropriate and must follow the rules of the state where the patient is located. Medicare describes coverage and access rules that can vary by service and plan (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). This point belongs to step 21 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For what follow-up reduces missed details? prepare a medication list, recent readings if requested, a quiet private space, and a phone backup. The older adult should know who is in the room, who can hear the conversation, and how to ask for private time. A caregiver can help with technology and notes, but should not answer every question. New chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, serious injury, or a sudden dangerous change in mental status needs emergency evaluation, not a delayed video appointment. This point belongs to step 22 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

For telemedicine step 7, write the clinician?s instruction in the patient?s preferred format and verify the next appointment before ending the call. This small closeout step makes it less likely that an important follow-up is lost. This point belongs to step 23 of the telemedicine visit; record the answer before making the next choice.

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Telehealth.
• National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). Health and aging resources.

• Source article. https://www.senioradvisor.com/blog/2017/10/the-benefits-of-telemedicine-for-seniors/