increased repeat users and improved patient satisfaction with the service . Further data from the pilot will be included in the poster .
7 . Tele-health as a Successful Strategy to Provide Asthma Education to Pediatric Patients in Rural Schools
Karen Burgess , MD , Nathan Culmer , PhD , Elizabeth Smith , CRNP
University of Alabama
Background : Asthma affects 12.3 % of children in Alabama , more than the 9.0 % national rate . Alabama is a doctor deficient state , especially in rural areas . Inadequate healthcare access is a barrier to asthma education . Telemedicine is an effective mechanism to address some medical problems when access to care is limited . Pediatric asthma creates additional burdens for asthmatic students and school staff . Improved self-management could translate into reduced symptoms , less academic performance interference and reduced utilization of school nurse staff . The University of Alabama received gift funding to provide pediatric asthma education for rural communities delivered by telemedicine . More is known about using telemedicine for individual management of pediatric asthmatic patients than using it for pediatric asthma education in a group setting . This study assesses the efficacy of this instructional modality by surveying individual participants ’ asthma knowledge before and after completing the curriculum .
Methods : Four synchronous asthma educational modules were delivered via tele-education to asthmatic students in elementary schools in rural Alabama . Children took quizzes about asthma before , immediately after , and when possible , two months after the presentations . Due to scheduling , only 27 % of students completed the third data collection . The test was evaluated for validity and revised for clarification . Scores that spanned both versions were standardized .
Results : Aggregate average scores improved 10.30 % between pre- and post-tests . In the subset of students in which all three scores ( pre- , post- , and delayed ) were collected , improvement between pre- and post-tests was 13.34 % and an additional 4.33 % improvement occurred between post-test and the delayed test representing an overall improvement of 17.67 %.
Conclusions : The educational intervention improved students ’ comprehension of their condition and selfmanagement . Administering asthma education via teleeducation to student groups at school is a successful strategy for improving asthma knowledge and self-management and may be especially useful to reach rural communities .
8 . A Telemedicine Intervention to Decrease Emergency Department Transfers among Senior Living Residents
Joseph Chan , MD 1 , Richard Newell , MD 2 , Lindsay Kriger 2 1 CEP MedAmerica , 2 CEP America
Background : Senior living communities are commonplace nationwide and provide an alternative to independent living for many Americans . Although it is common for senior living facilities to provide various amenities , most do not offer onsite access to physicians . In the event of an adverse health event , it is therefore common to transfer the resident to a local hospital emergency department ( ED ). This practice results in significant and often unnecessary expenditures . Telemedicine has the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce costs by connecting seniors to a physician , thereby avoiding unnecessary ED transfers .
Methods : A pilot study will run from May 2017 through May 2018 at La Costa Glen ( a senior independent living facility in California ). Residents consent to use telemedicine and have access via the residential services program already in place . EMTs can reach board-certified emergency physicians via video consult for non-emergent questions . These physicians are available on-demand , 24 / 7 , and have an average response time of less than 5 minutes . The program is running as a pilot study and is done at no cost to the patient , facility , or insurance provider . Data is collected from a short survey asking what the EMT would have done in the absence of telehealth – including options such as “ wait for next routine physician visit ” or “ transfer to ED .” Physician recommendation ( including disposition and treatment plan ) is also captured .
Results : To date ( June 2017 ), there have been 10 telehealth consults . Seven out of nine surveys completed by EMTs stated the patient would have been taken to the ED in the absence
35 | Page
increased repeat users and improved patient satisfaction with
the service. Further data from the pilot will be included in the
poster. 8. A Telemedicine Intervention to Decrease
Emergency Department Transfers among
Senior Living Residents
7. Tele-health as a Successful Strategy
to Provide Asthma Education to Pediatric
Patients in Rural Schools Joseph Chan, MD 1 , Richard Newell, MD 2 , Lindsay Kriger 2
Karen Burgess, MD, Nathan Culmer, PhD,
Elizabeth Smith, CRNP
University of Alabama
Background: Asthma affects 12.3% of children in Alabama,
more than the 9.0% national rate. Alabama is a doctor defi-
cient state, especially in rural areas. Inadequate healthcare
access is a barrier to asthma education. Telemedicine is an
effective mechanism to address some medical problems
when access to care is limited. Pediatric asthma creates addi-
tional burdens for asthmatic students and school staff. Im-
proved self-management could translate into reduced symp-
toms, less academic performance interference and reduced
utilization of school nurse staff. The University of Alabama
received gift funding to provide pediatric asthma education
for rural communities delivered by telemedicine. More is
known about using telemedicine for individual management
of pediatric asthmatic patients than using it for pediatric asth-
ma education in a group setting. This study assesses the effi-
cacy of this instructional modality by surveying individual par-
ticipants’ asthma knowledge before and after completing the
curriculum.
Methods: Four synchronous asthma educational modules
were delivered via tele-education to asthmatic students in
elementary schools in rural Alabama. Children took quizzes
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