Predictors of Retention for Community-Based Telehealth Programs: A Study of the Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors (TIPS)

Abstract

Community-based telehealth programs (CTPs) allow patients to regularly monitor health at community-based facilities. Evidence from community-based telehealth programs is scarce. In this paper, we assess factors of retention-patients remaining active participants-in a CTP called the Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS). We analyzed 5-years of data on social, demographic, and multiple chronic conditions among participants from 17 sites (N=1878). We modeled a stratified multivariable logistic regression to test the association between self-reported demographic factors, caregiver status, presence of multiple chronic conditions, and TIPS retention status by limited English proficient (LEP) status. Overall, 59.5% of participants (mean age: 75.8yrs, median 77yrs, SD 13.43) remained active. Significantly higher odds of retention were observed among LEP females, English-speaking diabetics, and English proficient (EP) participants without a caregiver. We discuss the impact of CTPs in the community, the role of caregiving, and recommendations for how to retain successfully recruited non-English speaking participants.