A Guide to Comprehensive Patient Assessment Using Telehealth in the Home

Telehealth use has increased 8,776%. Video conferencing and associated technology have been quickly implemented so healthcare providers could “see” patients in the safety of their home. Technology mediated home visits have an advantage of eliminating vulnerable patients’ exposure to health complications, but compromises the use of touch and vision to gain knowledge. Commonly when senses are compromised, tools are needed to enhance existing senses. A tool, such as a guide, can enhance tele-homecare providers’ abilities to assess and communicate with patients and their families. Without a guide, the potential brevity of videoconferencing visits puts providers at risk for missing cues to potential problems. The purpose of this presentation is to examine Comprehensive Patient Assessment using Telehealth in the Home (CPATH) as a validated guide to prompt telehealth providers to ask to observe items in the home within key domains of concerns.