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. 2017 Jun 29;9(1):47-54.
doi: 10.5195/ijt.2017.6218. eCollection 2017 Spring.

Home Quick - Occupational Therapy Home Visits Using mHealth, to Facilitate Discharge from Acute Admission Back to the Community

Jacqueline Nix  1 , Tracy Comans  2   3
Affiliations

Home Quick - Occupational Therapy Home Visits Using mHealth, to Facilitate Discharge from Acute Admission Back to the Community

Jacqueline Nix et al. Int J Telerehabil. .

Abstract

This article reports upon an initiative to improve the timeliness of occupational therapy home visits for discharge planning by implementing technology solutions while maintaining patient safety. A community hospital in Queensland, Australia, hosted a process evaluation that examined which aspects of home visiting could be replaced or augmented by alternative technologies. Strategies were trialled, implemented and assessed using the number of home visits completed and the time from referral to completion as outcomes. A technology-enhanced solution called "Home Quick" was developed using technology to facilitate pre-discharge home visits. The implementation of Home Quick resulted in an increase in the number of home visits conducted prior to discharge (50% increase from 145 to 223) and significantly increased the number of patients seen earlier following referral (X2=69.3; p<0.001). The substitution of direct home visits with technology-enabled remote visits is suitable for a variety of home visiting scenarios traditionally performed by occupational therapists.

Keywords: Acute discharge; Home assessment; Mobile technology; Occupational therapy; mHealth.

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Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT No competing financial interests exist for either of the authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The risk screening tool developed during the pilot implementation phase.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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