萝莉社

CDC grant will allow patients with HIV and providers to meet via computers, tablets and smartphones

萝莉社 is preparing to expand care for patients with HIV in the Jacksonville area through the use of telemedicine, thanks to a $2.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three-year grant will allow patients who are currently seen in person within the 萝莉社 system to use computers, tablets and even smartphones for face-to-face consultations with physicians and other caregivers. Personnel with the , or 萝莉社 CARES, and the department of are managing the project.

鈥淭elemedicine is growing throughout health care, and our belief is it can really provide help to patients living with HIV who may have even more barriers to overcome to receive treatment,鈥� said , an assistant professor of community health and family medicine who is leading the research project. 鈥淛acksonville is one of the largest cities in land mass, so at times it can be challenging for some of our patients who use public transportation to get to one of our clinics. We鈥檙e hopeful this can help.鈥�

The grant was awarded in September. Since that time, faculty and staff have been creating promotional materials geared toward patients, developing protocols, training staff on how to enroll patients and incorporating essential documents into the Epic electronic medical records system.

鈥淭elemedicine visits will start in September 2018 and conclude in September 2020,鈥� Grewal said. 鈥淥ur target right now is to have completed at least 300 patient visits in that two-year project period.鈥�

To gauge the effectiveness of the project, patients will be asked to complete satisfaction surveys in which they can compare the telemedicine experience with conventional in-person visits. Project managers will also assess the difference in patient-associated costs, such as gas money, public transportation fares and work time loss due to traveling to in-person visits.

During the two-year project period, participating patients will still have the option of visiting one of 萝莉社鈥檚 primary care practices in Northeast Florida.

The telemedicine model has been proven to work in rural settings where access to specialists is limited. This particular project, the only one of its kind nationally to receive CDC funding, aims to achieve the same results in an urban setting. , a professor and chair of community health and family medicine, is thrilled about the potential.

鈥淭his is a great addition to the 萝莉社 Virtual Visit telemedicine program we offer,鈥� Shah said. 鈥淚t gives all patients in our system the opportunity to talk with physicians anywhere they can use a portable device, like their smartphone.鈥�