Virtual geriatric care: User perception of telegeriatrics in nursing homes of Singapore

Abstract

Older persons have unique health needs and treatment preferences that require geriatric care for comprehensive evaluation and management. Telegeriatrics was implemented in December 2010 by an acute hospital in Singapore with the aim to provide timely specialist input to nursing home residents. This preliminary study explores the perspectives of users from the NHs and the acute hospital on two aspects of Telegeriatrics – the telemedicine consultation and the nurse training programme. Seven focus group discussions and three semi-structured moderate interviews were conducted with a total of 25 participants. To identify important themes and new themes that emerged during the coding process, thematic content analysis was applied. The most commonly cited benefits were increased access to specialist care, reduced need for hospitalizations, improved quality of care, and enhanced nursing skills and knowledge. However, common perceived barriers were the lack of personal touch, technical issues, and medico-legal issues. This mode of delivering specialist care was generally acceptable to the users. To the users, Telegeriatrics showed feasibility in providing consultation, delivering education, and enhancing nursing competence.