LTC home residents are frail, and hospital transfer increases their risk of acute confusion, healthcare-associated infections, iatrogenic adverse events and mortality. Avoidable ER transfers compromise the quality of care and increase ER crowding and healthcare cost.

According to published data, 25-40% of LTC residents’ transfers to the ER are preventable. Preventable transfers can be reduced by implementing strategic interventions within the LTCs and partnering hospitals.

One of the main reasons residents get transferred to ER is the difficulty for the LTC home staff to get a hold of the physician to visit the resident in a timely manner and decide on the treatment.

Using TeleVU, the LTC home nurses and physicians can remotely consult with physicians and other specialists to triage the patient before each transfer. As a result, unnecessary patient transfers to ER can be avoided. Furthermore, keeping the patients out of the hospital will reduce the change of adverse events resulting from such transfer.

Example: Resident with shortness of breath, cough and chest discomfort was seen by the nurse on duty. A physician-guided physical exam was performed by the nurse using TeleVU in real-time. CRP levels were also checked, and further collaboration between the nursing staff and the remote physician ruled our pneumonia. The patient was treated for Acute Bronchitis without being transferred out of the LTC home.