ACA- Teleheath by https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c The following students will respond to this topic. Grace Beyer, Megan Begue, Emily Landrith, Mariah Reeder, and Allyson Sprenger en-us 2017-03-22 17:40:21 UTC 2017-04-02 22:50:11 UTC hello@padlet.com I am looking at this padlet and do not see other's comments or posts as someone indicated. Please let me know if I am missing something. Sheri Montgomery smontgomery8 https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/162259361 2017-03-23 19:43:27 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/162259361 Allyson Sprenger-- Telehealth- increased access to healthcare and impact on OT profession https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163790947 The motivation for the Affordable Care Act is to expand access to healthcare to as many individuals as possible. The incorporation of Telehealth into the ACA is a beneficial contribution in expanding access to healthcare providers by creating a wider range of communication available and increased opportunities for patient care via technology. It helps to increase the "pool of available primary care physicians" in that it increases the amount of time and decreases location restrictions for when and where a doctor can practice. 

Telehealth impacts the therapy domain in that it creates a wider means for engagement between therapist's and their patients. It increases autonomy among PTs and OTs in that they can continue to work and communicate with their patients outside the clinic or hospital. Telehealth helps advance the practice of occupational therapy in that it creates a way in which therapist's can reach a wider population and impact their patients in a more personal and meaningful way. Since this is a new and emerging area of practice in the therapy profession, OTs would benefit from education on how to diagnose, treat, and communicate more effectively with patients through technology. As therapists, we often rely on what we can observe, therefore, with Telehealth, we would need adequate training on how to efficiently help a patient that we can not directly interact with.

Resources:
http://www.govtech.com/health/Will-the-Affordable-Care-Act-Help-Telehealth-Flourish.html

https://www.webpt.com/blog/post/why-pts-ots-and-slps-need-to-get-a-seat-on-the-telehealth-train]]> 2017-03-30 18:01:49 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163790947 Emily Landrith- Telehealth addressing the goal of Triple Aim and OTs becoming leaders in this arena https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163841856 The purpose of triple aim is to provide guiding principles to allow healthcare providers the opportunity to achieve their three main goals. Those goals include improving patient experience, improving the health of populations, and reducing the cost of care. Telehealth is able to help achieve some of these goals made by triple aim by making virtual care visits available in today’s healthcare ecosystem. Teledoc, Inc. is the nation’s leading provider for Telehealth services and it has more than 17 million members taking advantage of their services through mobile devices and online videos. This allows more people the opportunity to take part in occupational therapy thus helping to improve the populations quality of life. This may also improve patient experience because they are staying in the comfort of their own homes while still communicating one on one with a therapist. 

Occupational therapists can become leaders in this area of the ACA because they are able to utilize these resources to provide care for their patients. They could use Telehealth resources for “consultations, client evaluations, client monitoring, supervision, and interventions.” Occupational therapists can promote Telehealth by allowing their patients access to therapy without the hassle of commuting to the therapy center. People who may have a difficult time commuting to the therapy centers or for people who may not be able to leave their home, would greatly benefit from this opportunity. This type of healthcare service would give them the chance to engage in therapy where they would normally not receive services. The positive effects of this type of outreach program can help occupational therapists and their clients spread word about this great tool provided for them by Telehealth. 

Resources 

http://www.healthforum.com/connect/resources/teldoc-2017-022-wp-triple-aim.shtml 

http://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Ethics/Advisory/telehealth-advisory.pdf 
]]> 2017-03-30 22:16:57 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163841856 Mariah Reeder-How does this area impact occupational therapy. https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163842335 AOTA was charged along with Commission on Practice (COP) to investigate professional policy and practices related to telehealth and occupational therapy. Opportunities and challenges arises in their investigation of the incorporation of telehealth in our practice. Opportunities consisted of; increased access to OT services for clients who are undeserved and those lacking services due to the area of living. Benefits also consisted of the cost savings related to decreased travel and increased efficiency resulting from decreased wait times and flexible scheduling. Along with many more benefits there are challenges that arise in the area of telehealth. Some challenges that were brought to attention was the technical obstacles as in not having access to necessary equipment. Limited practitioners, lack of funding and reimbursement through state, ethical issues, and a limited supporting evidence to inform and guide clinical practice. AOTA recommends OT’s to participate in continuing education in telehealth while supporting the Affordable Care Act.

http://www.aota.org/~/media/corporate/files/secure/governance/ra/ra%20spring%202017/cop-telehealth-report-to-2017-ra.pdf]]> 2017-03-30 22:22:32 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/163842335 Grace Beyer- Does this area create opportunities or reduce access for services? https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/164200842 This area of the Affordable Care Access would increase access for OT services, especially for those who live in a rural, underserved area. Telehealth would take the issue of travel, cultural and socioeconomic barriers out of the picture, which would overall decrease waiting times to services and benefit everybody. The use of telehealth can be used for early intervention services for children, wellness and prevention services for aging adults, mental health, stroke patients and work adaptations. The use of videos can allow the OT to see the home environment so that home modifications could be made. Telehealth would increase communication and continuity of care between providers and patients. While there are barriers to telehealth, with proper implementation and training, it could greatly improve overall access. 
Cason, J. (2012, March 01). Telehealth Opportunities in Occupational Therapy Through the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1851550]]> 2017-04-02 22:15:14 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/164200842 Megan Begue- What new skills might OT need to best meet the needs of the consumer within this arena? https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/164201456 For this area of occupational therapy, a great amount of clinical experience would be by far the most important skills to have in order to determine things such as whether an in-person  evaluation would be required or not for the client. In addition to this asset, occupational therapists would also need training or knowledge on the software programs used to such communication. Understanding of online security and location of correspondence for patient confidentiality would be necessary. A therapist would need to be aware of any privacy threats whether it be the internet service they were connected to, or what other programs were open during the service. Also, a therapist would require training on how to safely handle HIPPA information in regards to saving such things on the computer used. Another skill that a therapist in this area might need would be resourcefulness, as the client will not have certain resources available in their home during the tele-session. Lastly, a therapist would need to improve on their communication skills, or learn how to adjust the computer camera so that the client could either fully understand the activity description, or be able to properly see the therapist demonstrate.

http://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Ethics/Advisory/telehealth-advisory.pdf]]> 2017-04-02 22:28:28 UTC https://padlet.com/smontgomery8/idabcm6lta0c/wish/164201456