Studying the feasibility of telehealth in nursing homes

October 1, 2020

Christopher Crnich, an associate professor of infectious disease, will lead a study funded in part by the Wisconsin Partnership Program to gather data on what it would take to design and implement a new telehealth model in nursing homes. By interviewing staff and observing telehealth encounters between providers and residents at four nursing homes in Dane County, Crnich and fellow researchers will analyze the complexity of implementing telehealth in these settings and identify possible barriers. Improved telehealth could mean a reduced risk of COVID-19 spread, fewer costly clinic visits and more frequent assessments for nursing home residents, according to Crnich.