Using an Electronic Tablet to Assess Patients’ Home Environment by Videoconferencing Prior to Hospital Discharge: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study

Abstract

Background Occupational therapists working in hospitals are usually involved in discharge planning to assess patients’ safety and autonomy upon returning home. However, their assessment is usually done at the hospital due to organizational and financial constraints. The lack of visual data about the patients’ home may thus reduce the appropriateness and applicability of the support recommended upon discharge. Although various technological tools such as mobile devices (mobile health) are promising methods for home-based distance assessment, their application in hospital settings may raise several feasibility issues. To our knowledge, their usefulness and added value compared to standard procedure have not been addressed yet in previous studies. Moreover, several feasibility issues need to be explored. Objective This paper aims to (1) document the clinical feasibility of using an electronic tablet to assess the patient's home environment by mobile videoconferencing and (2) explore the added value of using mobile videoconferencing, compared to the standard procedure. Methods A feasibility and comparative study using a mixed-methods (convergent) design is currently undergoing. Six occupational therapists will assess the home environment of their patients in the hospital setting: they will first perform a semistructured interview (a) and then use mobile videoconferencing (b) to compare “a versus a+b.” Interviews with occupational therapists and patients and their caregivers will further explore the advantages and disadvantages of mobile videoconferencing. Two valid tools are used (the Canadian Measure of Occupational Performance and the telehealth responsivity questionnaire). Direct and indirect time is also collected. Results The project was funded in the spring of 2016 and authorized by the ethics committee in February 2017. Enrollment started in April 2017. Five triads (n=4 occupational therapists, n=5 clients, n=5 caregivers) have been recruited until now. The experiment is expected to be completed by April 2019 and analysis of the results by June 2019. Conclusions Mobile videoconferencing may be a familiar and easy solution for visualizing environmental barriers in the home by caregivers and clinicians, thus providing a promising and inexpensive option to promote a safe return home upon hospital discharge, but clinical feasibility and obstacles to the use of mobile videoconferencing must be understood. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/11674

Effects of Using a Video-Sharing Application on Multidisciplinary Staff During Pre-discharge Home Assessment Visits for Elderly Hospitalized Patients

“…In addition, previous studies on pre-discharge visits using information and communication technology tools have reported that mobile videoconferencing by multiple professions has benefits, including more appropriate recommendations by rehabilitation professionals, 12,13 which were also reported in this study as facilitating the exchange of opinions during multidisciplinary conferences and decision-making by multiple professionals. On the other hand, previous studies have pointed out the time limitation of mobile conferencing due to the simultaneous gathering of multiple professions as a disadvantage, but this application has no time limitation and overcomes this limitation.…”

“…On the other hand, previous studies have pointed out the time limitation of mobile conferencing due to the simultaneous gathering of multiple professions as a disadvantage, but this application has no time limitation and overcomes this limitation. 12,13 The findings of the current study have several novelties. A novelty of the results of this study is that the use of a video-sharing application can approach the psychological distance between multidisciplinary professionals and promote interprofessional communication and collaboration among multiple professions.…”

“…11 Previous studies have reported that multidisciplinary mobile videoconferencing during pre-discharge home visits has benefits, including more appropriate occupational therapist recommendations, but with significant time constraints. 12,13 However, in a video-sharing application that can be viewed on mobile devices with no time constraints, it is not fully clear what effectiveness pre-discharge home visits have for multiple professions. This study aimed to explore how pre-discharge home assessment visits for elderly inpatients using a video-sharing application are accepted by the multidisciplinary professionals involved with the patient and what benefits and constraints they have.…”

Mobile Videoconferencing for Occupational Therapists’ Assessments of Patients’ Home Environments Prior to Hospital Discharge: Mixed Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study

“…The methods used for this study are detailed in a published protocol [ 17 ]. We conducted a concurrent mixed methods feasibility study to compare 2 home assessment methods ( Figure 1 ).…”

Pilot evaluation of a digital approach to occupational therapy home assessments: acceptability and efficiency compared with usual practice in a hospital

“…3 Given the evidencebased benefits of home assessments and their importance within a rehabilitation hospital setting, it is important to identify time-efficient pre-discharge home assessment delivery methods for this population. Advancements in technology have identified multiple alternative home assessment delivery models, including video-conferencing on electronic tablets, 12 patient-led measurements and remote protocols for carer measurements, 13,14 use of digital photography, 3 and telehealth home assessments. 15 The introduction of digital technology to home assessments for rehabilitation inpatients has the potential to streamline processes and improve time efficiencies where they have not been trialed before compared with usual care.…”