Benefits of Telehealth Apps for Geriatric Patients

Given the simple fact that older age patients may have trouble understanding. Operating and even harder to keep up with fast-paced technology – new technology has the potential and is equipped with support features that can provide timely interventions to facilitate older adults better.   

There is a need to develop response strategies that prevent barriers to entry for older age patients. 

A case study published in the Harvard Business Review in 2020 presents an ideal example of how this can be done: 

Iora Health and Oak Street Health delivered tablets to patients who needed them. 

Iora would mail custom-formatted tablets to their highest-risk patients after which the health coaches would remotely instruct the patients on how to use the technology. 

Both service providers found this solution to be sufficient for the majority of patients. 

As for the 5% to 10% of patients unable to use the technology on their own, Iora Health and Oak Street Health provide on-site help. 

For example, Oak Street Health’s van drivers, with proper personal protective equipment, would first deliver a cellular-enabled tablet to the patient, log the patient into the video visit so they could start right away.  

And later, the drivers would pick up the tablets, clean them and deliver them to other patients.

For all those patients who lacked the basic understanding of the technology or internet access, Oak Street Health would send “mobile medical assistants” who would conduct in-person sessions at the patient’s home and then set up a video visit with the care team via the tablet. 

The assistant would remain with the patient during the video visit to help them use the technology.