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TeleRehab Wheeled Mobility Clinic to CNH

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With our TeleRehabilitation wheeled mobility clinic, we partnered with our contract nursing home facilities to complete complex wheelchair seating assessments and deliver equipment to our Veterans without the need for travel to a VA facility. Using telehealth technology, rehab clinicians work together with the community therapists to evaluate, measure, fit, train and deliver a specialized wheelchair over the course of multiple visits. Vendors are used to assist with delivery of the equipment and provide hands on assist with set up of the wheelchair. Using telerehabilitation has enabled Veterans to get the care they need, eliminating hardships with travel to the VA.

Adoptions:

1 successful

Partners:

Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Connected Care, Office of Rural Health

Tags:

COVID-19 Telehealth
Contact Team

Overview

Problem

Solution

Results

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

MN: Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

There are no in-progress adoptions for this innovation.

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

Multimedia

Images

Through telerehab visits, our VA Occupational Therapist guides the community therapist with adjustments or modifications. We provide education to the functionality of the power wheelchair issued to the Veteran. The community therapist helps facilitate through their eyes, hands, and skills.

Through telerehab visits, our VA therapist instructs the community therapist in measuring for a custom fit. The Veteran may trial different wheelchairs in their home environment for optimal use.

Our CNH coordinator completes a test call with the therapist at the CNH, to ensure good technology connection during the visit. Details about the visit are provided and a welcome letter is sent with instructions.

Implementation

Timeline

  • by week 1
    Identify your team: PT/OT/CNH (Community Nursing Home) Coordinator
  • by week 3
    Identify community vendor partners
  • by week 4-6
    Complete telehealth training/requirements (VA Staff, Community Nursing Home, vendors)
  • by week 5
    Build telehealth clinics
  • by week 6
    Provide education on services/consult
  • by week 8-12
    Start services

Departments

  • Geriatrics
  • Discharge planning
  • Education and training
  • Information technology
  • Medical records
  • Occupational health and safety
  • Information management

Risks and mitigations

Risk Mitigation
CNH (Community Nursing Home) liaison Identify alternative coodinator role
Clinicians lack specialized training to initiate Identify other clinicians available via telehealth, or provide funds for training
CNH willingness to participate Education, marketing, training, benefits

Contact

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About

Origin story

In 2017, the Office of Rural Health funded the TeleRehabilitation Enterprise Wide Initiative. Many telehealth protocols were created, and our teams were tasked to innovate a practice to provide wheeled mobility services to Veterans via telehealth. Many ideas were generated to build a successful clinic, but there were difficulties and barriers along the way a ... In 2017, the Office of Rural Health funded the TeleRehabilitation Enterprise Wide Initiative. Many telehealth protocols were created, and our teams were tasked to innovate a practice to provide wheeled mobility services to Veterans via telehealth. Many ideas were generated to build a successful clinic, but there were difficulties and barriers along the way as we needed support where the Veteran was located. Once we met with our CNH director, we knew we had found a collaborative approach to connect our Veterans in the CNH to our specialized services. This has been the bridge for a successful partnership!

Original team

Grace Wilske

TeleRehab Program Manager, Occupational Therapist

Jessica Hollie

CNH Coordinator, LICSW

Kristin Hanowski

Physical Therapist

Benjamin Barrett

Occupational Therapist

Dr. Larisa Kusar

MD,Dr. Mary Matsumoto

Search tags

COVID-19 Telehealth