The 12-month clinical outcomes of nursing home patients who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation was determined. A retrospective review of 40 patients in a teaching nursing home who had videofluoroscopic swallowing studies from 1987 through 1989 was performed. Clinical outcomes measured included feeding tube placement, rehospitalization within 1 year, prolonged nursing home stay (> 6 months), pneumonia, and pneumonia death. It was determined if outcomes were associated with the presence of aspiration on videofluoroscopy and subsequent feeding tube placement. In the 12-month follow-up period, 17 of 40 patients (43%) who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation developed pneumonia and 18 of 40 (45%) died. Twenty-two patients demonstrated aspiration on videofluoroscopy. Increased rehospitalization was the only outcome measure that was associated with the presence of aspiration on videofluoroscopy (p < or = 0.05). Of 22 patients with aspiration, 15 had feeding tubes placed. This group had a higher rate of pneumonia (p < or = 0.05) and pneumonia death (p < or = 0.05) compared with the 7 patients with aspiration who did not receive feeding tubes. Patients with nasogastric tubes had a higher death rate (7/9) than patients with gastrostomy tubes (2/8; p < or = 0.05), but similar rates of rehospitalization and pneumonia. Nursing home patients who underwent video-fluoroscopic swallowing evaluation had poor clinical outcomes at 12 months, regardless of their test results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Technology has made great strides in healthcare, but has been slow in reaching a Senior's home or residence. At 35 million and growing, the Senior population is making it known that home is where they want to stay. Technology advancements in devices, communications, and wireless capability are now making possible the delivery of customized telehealth solutions to provide Seniors with "enabled independence," allowing them to confidently "age in place" at home or residence for much longer, with improved health outcomes and quality of life. Combined with traditional ambulatory care services, integrating telehealth technology services now allows delivery of "virtual assisted living" services at home that can more efficiently meet Senior health requirements, and can simplify other aspects of a Senior's life that can play a role in extending time at home. To be successful, an integrated service must be able to usefully address a range of activities of daily living-instrumental activities of daily living, and enhanced activities of daily living-requirements. Already proven in other areas such as radiology, intensive care units, prisons, and rural communities, companies are working to develop practical telehealth service offerings designed for the home or residence. These services must be (a) packaged to meet individual Senior needs and (b) reviewed and revised regularly to match changes in Senior requirements over time. A core element of this service is the use of regular "virtual visits" between healthcare professionals and a Senior at home or residence, which have been shown to both increase efficiency and Senior health outcomes. Another important element is centralizing key data from the telehealth technology into a single database to improve information delivered to a Senior's doctor, family, and other ambulatory care providers. North Shore eCare and other companies are conducting extensive market tests and pilot efforts to make sure service offerings meet Senior needs, and can be delivered cost-effectively.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.