TY - JOUR T1 - How Telehealth Addresses the Needs of Vulnerable Elders JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 638 LP - 639 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2022.03.210493 VL - 35 IS - 3 AU - Ami Hall AU - Kelly Clemings AU - Ronan Factora AU - Swarnalatha Meyyazhagan Y1 - 2022/05/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/3/638.abstract N2 - Background: One of the most vulnerable groups is older persons who seek medical care (patients), especially those who are cognitively impaired with limited access to technology or knowledge of its use.Intervention: Cuyahoga County Adult Protective Services (APS) partnered with the geriatricians who work at Cleveland Clinic to arrange for clients to be seen virtually in their home environment. Once a patient was identified as having cognitive concerns or an unaddressed medical issue, an appointment was scheduled for a concurrent in-home nurse and virtual visit with a geriatrician.The APS nurse visited the patient's residence to perform an in-home assessment followed by the virtual portion of the visit concurrent with the geriatrician using a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant electronic platform.Outcomes: Fifty-six patients were seen and evaluated in-home by a nurse and then simultaneously virtually by a geriatrician over a 12-month period. Among these patients, 53% had a guardian assigned, 55% were able to stay in their home, and 55% lacked regular health care before the visit, but afterward, 74% started primary medical care.Conclusion: Physicians working collaboratively with community agencies for in-home technology-enhanced visits led to positive outcomes for this vulnerable older population. ER -