Telemedicine Pilot Program makes care more accessible for ALS patients » UF Health Jacksonville. Tasks such as traveling to appointments or waiting in doctors’ offices can be so debilitating for patients dealing with Lou Gehrig’s disease that some avoid scheduling critical checkups altogether. A new UF Health Jacksonville research program – the first of its kind in the nation – aims to eliminate those barriers by offering in- home appointments to patients with the condition also known as ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Patients can interact with their doctors and therapists as if they are in themultidisciplinary ALS center at the UF Health Neuroscience Institute, thanks to an advanced, highly secure video system. While the concept of telemedicine has been tested in various specialties, this telemedicine program – a research study funded by The ALS Association Florida Chapter, Inc. The system is expected to be easier and more cost- effective than a live video feed. It causes muscles to weaken and progressively takes away the brain’s ability to control muscle movement. As it becomes increasingly difficult to exercise, eat and even breathe, a patient is best served by a team of people who can evaluate the various effects the disease is having and the various therapies that can help. In the pilot program, each member of the ALS multidisciplinary team reviews the video and provides medical input. Then Pulley formulates a combined opinion and therapeutic plan. Benedict, National Program Manager, AL-TBI Pilot Program for the US Department of Veterans Affairs to discuss the program. NeuroRestorative: What is the VA Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with TBI and why was it. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the award of 20 contracts for the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (AL-TBI). Originally slated to end in 2014, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (“VACAA”) extended this program. Community-integrated brain injury rehabilitation through its civilian partner, Virginia NeuroCare (VANC). This article describes a manualized TBI rehabilitation pilot program designed to provide community reintegration and assist individuals with TBI. In a follow- up appointment, he presents the information to the ALS patient via a safe, encrypted live video feed. He and the patient can answer each other’s questions and discuss the plan as if the patient were in his office. And Pulley couldn’t have found a better nurse: Rebecca Brittain, RN, is not only a seasoned nurse who’s comfortable with technology, she’s also intimately familiar with ALS. Brittain’s mother had ALS, and Pulley was her doctor.“You don’t know what it’s like unless you’ve been there, and I have. I moved my mom into my house and took care of her,” Brittain said. As much as she and her mother appreciated the care they received in their clinical visits, Brittain’s mom dreaded the work it took to get through the day. My mom would be tired for a week after her visits.”Since there are only four ALS clinics in Florida, patients often have to travel long distances to be seen. They come from as far as Orlando and Tallahassee, taking on the expense of traveling and getting a hotel room in order to receive care. With the telemedicine program, Brittain is the only person traveling. She brings two i. Pads and portable Wi- Fi hot spots, setting them up to video the patient from two angles while she performs an exam. The video footage is saved with multiple encryptions to ensure only the intended providers will see it. The video is broken into sections so providers can review the portions that apply to them rather than watching the entire video. VA AL-TBI Pilot Program The Transitional Learning Center is proud and honored to announce that it is a contracted provider with Department of Veterans Affairs' Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (AL-TBI) and can now serve. Congress is running out of time to extend a critically important program that currently supports our nation's most severely injured veterans. The Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (AL-TBI) is a five-year federal program that was established in the National. Approximately 187 Veterans were enrolled into the AL-TBI Pilot Program in 46 different facilities located in 22 states. Currently, there are 94 Veterans enrolled in the pilot. The extension of the program offers opportunities for providers wishing to participate in the. Polytrauma/TBI System of Care Menu Menu Polytrauma Polytrauma/TBI System of Care Home Conditions TBI Polytrauma Amputation Getting Help TBI Screening Admission and Referrals Program Locator Concussion Coach About Recovery and Rehabilitation. One appointment will include information for specialists in: Neurology. Nutrition. Physical therapy. Assisted Living for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (AL-TBI) Pilot Program skip to page content Attention A T users. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. Please switch auto forms mode to off. Hit enter to expand a. VA Extends Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury 14-Apr-2015 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the award of 20 contracts for the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (AL-TBI). Originally slated to. Occupational therapy. Respiratory health. Speech. Case management. Hospice. The hope is that the telemedicine program will better serve patients, especially those who have to travel a long distance to be seen. Since there is no additional cost to be visited at home, it will mean tremendous financial savings to those patients. It will also prevent the stress and exhaustion some patients associate with doctor visits. And those aren’t the only benefits researchers expect to see. Pulley said ALS clinics are so uncommon in Florida because they don’t bring in revenue.“It involves a lot of people. A speech therapist, a physical therapist, occupational therapists and others. Regularly assembling the required number of specialists for the ALS clinic is a challenge,” he said. But we want to provide this service because it greatly helps people with ALS.”By using the telemedicine program, Pulley expects providers will be able to review more cases and serve patients who otherwise would not have been able to participate in clinical visits. That will increase the number of patients able to take advantage of the program. The cost of the telemedicine pilot, which is initially serving 2. January to June, is $1. That covers equipment costs as well as Brittain’s training, travel and salary. In the world of medicine, that’s a very low cost for a program that could greatly impact access to care. Physicians throughout the United States have already taken notice. Pulley said more than 2. Northeast ALS Association meeting earlier this year. Once the initial study is complete, Pulley wants to continue the telemedicine program and the research. Given the recent emphasis on telemedicine programs, Pulley said he is hopeful the state of Florida will continue the funding and that there will be other avenues of funding available in the future.
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