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1: AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2003:959.Click here to read Links

A needs assessment study for the Missouri Tele-hospice Project.

Oliver DR, Demiris G, Fleming DA, Edison K.

Health Management and Informatics - School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.

Hospice care focuses on palliation and the relief of suffering aiming to improve the quality of patients' last days. Telemedicine is considered to be a tool that can address challenges such as staff shortage, funding limitations and limited access to services in rural areas. Hospice services via telemedicine can be delivered directly into a patient's home by utilizing videoconferencing technology. The Missouri Telehospice Project aims to investigate the impact of a telehospice model on satisfaction with delivered care, caregiver burden, crisis prevention rates and overall cost of delivered care. Five urban and rural hospice agencies in Missouri are participating. A needs assessment study was conducted where hospice staff members responded to a set of questions within focus group and interview sessions providing feedback about the design, type of technology, frequency of usage and perceived impact on quality of hospice care.

PMID: 14728463 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1480051