TY - JOUR
T1 - Telehospice tools for caregivers
T2 - A pilot study
AU - Demiris, George
AU - Oliver, Debra Parker
AU - Courtney, Karen L.
AU - Day, Michele
N1 - Funding Information:
George Demiris is Associate Professor, University of Washington, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, Seattle, WA. Debra Parker Oliver is affiliated with the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Karen L. Courtney is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, PA. Michele Day is affiliated with the School of Social Work, University of Missouri, Columbia. Address correspondence to: George Demiris, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Washington, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, School of Nursing, Box 357266, Seattle, WA 98195 (E-mail: [email protected]). This project was funded, in part, by the John A. Hartford Foundation Social Work Faculty Scholars Program, administered by the Gerontological Society of America, the University of Missouri Research Board, and the National Library of Medicine Biomedical and Health Informatics Research Training Grant T15-LM07089-14.
PY - 2007/10/3
Y1 - 2007/10/3
N2 - This pilot study introduces videophones into the homes of elderly caregivers of dying patients, evaluating their usefulness as a communication tool. A total of 12 senior caregivers from two hospice agencies were recruited into the study. Portable videophones were installed allowing caregivers to conduct video-calls with hospice staff. Findings indicate that the anxiety scores significantly decreased (p < 0.05) for participants over time. Differences in quality-of-life scores (including individual dimensions as well as overall score) were not statistically significant. Staff members at one of the participating hospice agencies were originally reluctant to recruit caregivers to the study. Videophones were perceived as easy to use by caregivers who overall saw benefit in the visual feedback during their communication with hospice staff.
AB - This pilot study introduces videophones into the homes of elderly caregivers of dying patients, evaluating their usefulness as a communication tool. A total of 12 senior caregivers from two hospice agencies were recruited into the study. Portable videophones were installed allowing caregivers to conduct video-calls with hospice staff. Findings indicate that the anxiety scores significantly decreased (p < 0.05) for participants over time. Differences in quality-of-life scores (including individual dimensions as well as overall score) were not statistically significant. Staff members at one of the participating hospice agencies were originally reluctant to recruit caregivers to the study. Videophones were perceived as easy to use by caregivers who overall saw benefit in the visual feedback during their communication with hospice staff.
KW - Aged
KW - Anxiety
KW - Caregiver quality of life index
KW - Hospice care
KW - Informatics
KW - Social work
KW - Telehospice
KW - Telemedicine
KW - Videophone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=35448973590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1300/J018v31n01_04
DO - 10.1300/J018v31n01_04
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:35448973590
SN - 0731-7115
VL - 31
SP - 43
EP - 57
JO - Clinical Gerontologist
JF - Clinical Gerontologist
IS - 1
ER -