Rehabilitation, Research and Training Center
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Rehabilitation, Research and Training Center |
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This is a publication of the Consortium for Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education under grant number H133B001200. The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Education |
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What Technologies are Used in Telehealth for Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs?Two of the most commonly utilized technologies for telehealth are interactive videoconferencing and store and forward. Videoconferencing allows families and providers in different locations to interact in real time over video monitors. Videoconferencing is being used in some states to provide:
Health care providers in rural or isolated areas can utilize videoconferencing technology to seek consultation from specialists. Videoconferencing also has a host of non-medical uses, including interactive education and training. Utilizing store and forward technology, data and images (such as x-rays) can be sent to a distant provider for examination. This technology is particularly common in the fields of radiology and dermatology. Other Technologies Used In Telehealth New technologies to provide health care services and education are emerging all the time. Both e-mail and the Internet are increasingly being used to by families to access health-related information or to communicate with health care professionals. Other technologies enable nurses or other practitioners to monitor children with chronic conditions on a daily basis without the child having to leave home. Videophones and bio-sensors are examples of this technology. Some Examples of How Telehealth is Being Used For Children with Special Health Care Needs Around The Country North Carolina Telability is an innovative, community oriented, interdisciplinary program that uses telecommunications to improve the lives of children with disabilities. Using real time videoconferencing and internet technologies, TelAbility provides comprehensive, coordinated, family centered care to children with disabilities across North Carolina and offers education, training, and peer support for people who care for them. Maine The Kmihqitahasultipon Project is a system of care that includes an array of mental health and support services to meet the needs of Passamaquoddy children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. Because of the rural, geographic location of the Indian Township community, on-site diagnostic and evaluation services have been extremely limited. For example, the closest child psychiatrist is over 90 miles from the reservation. The Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital team consisting of one child psychiatrist and two child psychologists offers weekly videophone technical assistance and expertise in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of mental illness in children and adolescents. For a rural, isolated community such as Indian Township, the Harvard/MGH link has been essential to providing quality, accessible, and affordable psychiatric and psychological care to Passamaquoddy children and families. As on-reservation resources for diagnostic and evaluation services are developed and implemented as a result of this project, the Harvard/MGH team will move to less frequent contact with Indian Township. Washington The Telepartners Project applies an experimental model of outreach from the University of Washington and Children?s Hospital and Regional Medical Center to remote rural communities in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) to provide needed services for children with disabilities. The existing WWAMI Rural Telemedicine Network is used for early identification and ongoing consultation via interactive video-consultation for children birth to 21 years, with emphasis on those aged 3-12 for whom the Local Education Agency (LEA) needs advice about medical conditions affecting the educational process. The goal for the Telepartners Project is to assist educators and health care providers in formulating and implementing appropriate individual education plans for children with special needs, and to foster closer collaboration between school districts and local health professionals. For More Information For more information on telehealth, including funding sources, the following websites may be of interest: Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) Consortium Partners [ Family Voices ] |
