Geriatrics and Gerontology

Biography

Biography: Sunil Godse

Abstract

It is no secret that access to medical specialists for residents of long term care facilities require a painfully long wait. Worse, the further deterioration of a resident’s medical condition is often coupled with a deleterious psychological effect because of this queue, affecting the patient and the family and the health professionals working in the long term care facility. Using Ministry of Health and Long Term Care-approved equipment supplied by Ontario Telemedicine Network, eCare Partners Inc. has undergone a pilot project demonstrating the effectiveness of using a tele-health system in a number of Ontario long term care facilities. This study demonstrates that using this system has many benefits. Primarily, it will significantly reduce the wait time for specialists required for the appropriate medical care. It curtails the worsening of the medical condition and preventsthe onset of secondary medical issues. The resident’s family benefits from a reduction in stress. The long term care facility greatly benefits from healthier residents and more content staff, positively impacting its overall culture. Finally, the overall medical system benefits from a vast reduction in unnecessary visits to walk-in clinics, urgent care facilities, or hospital emergency departments,triggering a reduction in unnecessary referrals. Clearly, using a tele-health system for long term facilities presents significant benefits, both direct and indirect.