Telehealth Videoconferencing in a Memory Clinic for Rural Seniors: Does it Work?
Effective strategies are needed to deliver services to seniors in rural communities, which have a higher proportion of older people but limited access to specialized services. This presentation will report on findings from a larger demonstration project aimed at improving access to diagnosis and management of early stage dementia for rural and remote seniors. A one-stop interprofessional memory clinic is enhanced by pre-clinic assessment and follow-up via telehealth videoconferencing. For the first five years, patients were randomly assigned to either in-person or telehealth for initial follow-up at 6 weeks, then alternating at 12-week and 6-month follow-up. A comprehensive evaluation has been ongoing since implementation, using quantitative and qualitative methods. This presentation describes findings from the semi-structured telephone interviews with patients and family caregivers regarding the use of telehealth in the clinic. This data has enhanced our understanding of its utility a
