DONs Have Mixed Views on Telemedicine in SNFs

A new investigation published by the JAMA Network found DONs giving telemedicine in SNFs mixed reviews, with favorable aspects tied to being able to get easier care for less mobile residents and negative aspects tied to accessibility concerns with specialists.

Titled, “Perceptions of Telemedicine Use for Specialist Care in Skilled Nursing Facilities,” the report asked, “How do skilled nursing facility (SNF) clinical leaders perceive lower use of telemedicine in the post–COVID-19 era?”

The answer – based on a national survey of 379 DONs at SNFs – said most have positive views but the top reasons for not using telemedicine among less-frequent users and non-users were that specialists offered telemedicine only infrequently and there were limited improvements in quality of care over normal practices.

“The findings suggest that specialist telemedicine care is seen as a useful tool for SNFs, but incentives for specialists to offer telemedicine and reimbursement for nursing staff time are needed,” researchers said.

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.