Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34488746›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2021

Challenges in current nursing home care in rural Germany and how they can be reduced by telehealth - an exploratory qualitative pre-post study.

Susann May, Kai Jonas, Georgia V Fehler, Thomas Zahn, Martin Heinze, Felix Muehlensiepen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Opportunities and Barriers of Telemedicine in Rheumatology: A Participatory, Mixed-Methods Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Susann MayCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Seebad 82/83, 15562, Rüdersdorf, Germany. susann.may@mhb-fontane.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3847-4861
Kai Jonasbbw Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Georgia V FehlerCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Seebad 82/83, 15562, Rüdersdorf, Germany.
Thomas Zahnbbw Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Martin HeinzeCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Seebad 82/83, 15562, Rüdersdorf, Germany.
Felix MuehlensiepenCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Seebad 82/83, 15562, Rüdersdorf, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8571-7286
Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane · DEbbw University of Applied Sciences · DEUniversity of Applied Sciences Potsdam · DE

Funding

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit ZMVI1-2520TEL002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTelemedical care of nursing home residents in Germany, especially in rural areas, is limited to a few pilot projects and is rarely implemented as part of standard care. The possible merits of implementing video consultations in longer-term nursing care currently lack supporting evidence. In particular, there is little documentation of experiences and knowledge about the effects and potential benefits of the implementation in presently existing structures. The goal was to assess the effect of implementing medical video consultations into nursing home care addressing the following research questions: How is medical care currently provided to nursing home residents, and where do problems in its implementation arise? How can video consultations be used to reduce difficulties arising in everyday care? How does implementation of video consultations impact day-to-day nursing home care delivery?

methodsTwenty-one guided interviews (pre-implementation n = 13; post-implementation n = 8) were conducted with a total of 13 participants (physicians, nurses and medical technical assistants). Narratives were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results were contrasted in a pre-post analysis.

resultsChallenges described by the participants before implementation included a requirement for additional organisational and administrative efforts, interruptions in the daily care routine or delayed treatments, and risk for loss of patient-relevant information due to process diversity. After implementation, communication was facilitated upon introduction of assigned time slots for video consultations. Clinical information was less likely to be lost, additional work was spared, and medication and therapeutic and assistive devices were provided more quickly.

conclusionsTelehealth cannot replace physical, in-person visits, but does offer an alternative form of service delivery when properly integrated into existing structures. Our results suggest that the use of video consultations in nursing homes can reduce the burden and additional workload, and increase the efficiency of care provision for nursing home residents. Video consultations can complement in-person visits to nursing homes, especially to address the shortage of medical specialists in rural areas in Germany. To promote implementation and acceptance of video consultation in nursing homes, we need to increase awareness of its benefits and undertake further evaluation of video consultations in nursing home care.

Indexed as

TelemedicineGermanyHumansNursing HomesReferral and ConsultationRural PopulationNursing homesPhysician shortageRural areasTelehealthVideo consultation

Identifiers

PMID34488746
PMCPMC8420146
OpenAlexW3193507561

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.