General Practitioners, Patients, and Care Givers Support the Use of a Telegeriatric Memory Disorder Consultation for Older Adults

Melinda Martin-Khan^1,2*, Salih A. Salih^1,3, Jeffrey Rowland⁴, Richard Wootton^5,6, Leonard C. Gray^1,2

¹Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia.
²Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Royal Children’s Hospital, Herston, Australia.
³Redlands Hospital, Queensland Health, Redlands, Australia.
⁴Prince Charles Hospital, Queensland Health, Chermside, Australia.
⁵Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromso, Norway.
⁶Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromso, Tromso, Norway.

DOI: 10.4236/aad.2015.41001                

Abstract

Evidence has shown that diagnosis of dementia is reliable via video conference, but uptake of telehealth in this field has been slow. The aim of this paper was to consider the feasibility of implementing a telegeriatric memory disorder consultation as a standard clinical service and to assess stakeholder satisfaction with such a service. Method: The focus was on patient population located some distance from access to specialist services. General Practitioners (GPs) located in a remote area referred patients for a video consultation (VC) for cognitive assessment. A satisfaction survey was completed by referring GPs, patients or care givers, and the geriatrician. Results: Seven GPs agreed to participate in the pilot. Nine patients were referred for assessment, eight were diagnosed with dementia. GPs identified the specialist input as significant to patient care. Participants interacted with the specialist on a level that was comparable to a face-to-face assessment. Conclusion: It was clinically feasible to implement a telegeriatric memory disorder clinic. GPs, patients and their families living in a remote area found that a telegeriatric memory consultation was a highly satisfactory alternative to traveling to a major city for a memory assessment. Key Points: 1) GPs judged the diagnosis and recommendations by the specialist to be reliable and would recommend the service; 2) Rather than travel a long distance to see a specialist, attending the appointment via video conference is a suitable alternative for geriatric cognitive assessment.

Keywords

Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Telemedicine

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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