Teleconsultations and telemedicine in nursing homes offer numerous advantages for nursing home residents. They enable quick and uncomplicated medical advice without patients having to leave the home or wait a long time for a doctor to visit.
In addition, the use of telemedicine in nursing homes facilitates communication between nursing staff, family doctors, and specialists. Seniors with chronic illnesses in particular benefit from (additional) telemedical care.
Teleconsultations and telemedicine in nursing homes offer numerous advantages for nursing home residents. They enable quick and uncomplicated medical advice without patients having to leave the home or wait a long time for a doctor to visit.
Teleconsultations and telemedicine in nursing homes offer numerous advantages for nursing home residents.
A telemedicine consultation
takes an average of [1] per patient.
Teleconsultations use medical devices[1]
Televisits allow for a final assessment
of the patient’s state of health[1]
Hospital admissions were prevented by routine televisits
[2]
beträgt die Dauer einer Telekonsultation pro Patient[1]
der Telekonsultationen benötigen medizinische Diagnostik[1]
der Telekonsultationen mit medizinischen Geräten ermöglichen eine Beurteilung des Gesundheitszustands des Patienten[1]
der unnötigen Krankenhauseinweisungen können eingespart werden[2]
[1]M. Ohligs, Clinical interventions in aging 2020, 1427-1437.
[2]A.-C. Redeker, Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023.
In contrast to a “video consultation,” which enables video chat between doctor and patient, a “teleconsultation” refers to professional communication between a nurse and a telemedicine doctor (general practitioner or specialist).
In some cases, it is helpful or even medically necessary to have more than just a video image of the resident available; diagnostics can be enhanced by medical devices.
Our medical rolling stand or ward trolley “TeleDoc-Mobile” integrates various medical devices for this purpose. The system can be used both for routine ward documentation, e.g., in Connext Vivendi, Medifox Dan, myneva Heimbas, etc., and for conducting virtual doctor’s visits with the attending family doctor or specialist.
The basic prerequisite for a successful televisit in geriatric care is a trusting (video) conversation between the doctor and caregiver, with the resident also involved. That is why a second screen is available for the resident on the back. The telemedicine doctor controls the camera remotely.
Our TeleDoc system is modular. This allows it to be configured individually, e.g., by integrating various medical devices.
In contrast to a “video consultation,” which enables video chat between doctor and patient, a “teleconsultation” refers to professional communication between a nurse and a telemedicine doctor (general practitioner or specialist).
In some cases, it is helpful or even medically necessary to have more than just a video image of the resident available; diagnostics can be enhanced by medical devices.
Our medical rolling stand or ward trolley “TeleDoc-Mobile” integrates various medical devices for precisely this purpose.
Die folgenden Komponenten sind standardsmäßig im TeleDoc-Mobile enthalten und fungieren als Kommunikationseinheit.
Hands-free system
Medical Panel PC
Controllable camera
Second screen
Our TeleDoc-Mobile is modular and can also be expanded with the following medical devices:
blood glucose meter
Digital stethoscope
Dermatoscope
Otoskop
Patient monitor
Spirometer
thermometer
ultrasound device
Untersuchungskamera
Back in 2007, our founders, drawing on their experience in emergency medical practice, asked themselves how digitalization could ease the burden on emergency services and also increase the competence of non-medical personnel. Based on this consideration, they ultimately developed the invention of the “tele-emergency physician.”
Since 2017, however, we have been focusing on the implementation of telemedicine, including in elderly care. The TeleDoc system was developed with a focus on application and customer needs. We involved not only doctors and nurses, but also senior citizens.
Medical diagnostics often require the use of medical devices. However, with the introduction of telemedicine in geriatric care, doctors no longer need to be on site. With the help of the nursing staff, findings can be collected directly in the resident’s room and forwarded live to the telemedicine doctor. For example, the caregiver holds the stethoscope to the patient’s chest while the connected doctor determines whether pneumonia is present. For chronically ill patients in particular, remote telemedical diagnostics mean a significant increase in the quality of care.
All findings are documented in the TeleDoc software. Medical delegations are sent to the assistant “at the click of a button” by the physician and acknowledged after completion.
The TeleDoc system thus provides double legal certainty: on the one hand, caregivers can be sure about what to do and what not to do in each case, and on the other hand, medical delegations are documented in a forensically secure manner.
The integration of telemedicine into care processes helps to improve the quality of care and optimize healthcare. That’s why our software integrates perfectly into your IT environment (e.g., through interfaces to your care documentation system) while we support you with change management.
Close cooperation with the physician and the assumption of responsibility for measures lead to a significant strengthening of the nurse’s competence. As a result, she experiences greater appreciation, which ultimately increases motivation.
Data protection plays a key role in the use of telemedicine, especially in nursing homes and specialist medical practices. The main focus here is on protecting sensitive health data and complying with legal requirements such as the GDPR. That’s why we provide each customer with their own “private cloud” that is technically separate from other customers. All data is also transmitted with end-to-end encryption.
Training nursing staff is essential in order to fully exploit the advantages of telemedicine. That is why we train both end users and multipliers/trainers who can conduct internal training courses themselves.
If you still have questions or encounter problems, our highly qualified support staff will be happy to assist you by phone.
Televisits are a valuable addition to primary care in geriatric care, as they enable regular and timely contact between doctor and patient.
Televisits enable regular doctor-patient contact, thereby strengthening the relationship. In addition, the additional rear screen actively involves the patient and ensures high-quality medical care without compromising the personal relationship with the doctor. Furthermore, hospital stays can be avoided. Discover more advantages of our solution.
General practitioners and specialists can and are permitted to make remote diagnoses using approved medical devices and delegate appropriate measures accordingly.
All findings are documented in the TeleDoc software. Medical delegations are sent to the assistant “at the click of a button” by the physician and acknowledged after completion.
You continue to work as before. We take care of the televisit and then transfer all relevant data back to your documentation system.
Close cooperation with the physician and taking charge of measures lead to an increase in competence and appreciation among nursing staff.
Each customer receives their own private cloud. All data is transmitted end-to-end. As a KBV-listed provider, we naturally take the requirements of the GDPR seriously.
If you have any questions or problems, our highly qualified support staff will be happy to help you!
General practitioners and specialists can and are permitted to make remote diagnoses using approved medical devices and delegate appropriate measures accordingly.
All findings are documented in the TeleDoc software. Medical delegations are sent to the assistant “at the click of a button” by the physician and acknowledged after completion.
You continue to work as before. We take care of the televisit and then transfer all relevant data back to your documentation system.
Close cooperation with the physician and taking responsibility for measures increase the competence and appreciation of the nursing staff.
Each customer receives their own private cloud. All data is transmitted end-to-end. As a KBV-listed provider, we naturally take the requirements of the GDPR seriously.
If you have any questions or problems, our highly qualified support staff will be happy to help you!
aThe integration of telemedicine interfaces with systems such as Connext Vivendi, myneva, Cairful, C&S, Develop group, heimbas, and many others ensures the seamless integration of telemedicine into existing care processes. These interfaces are crucial for continuing to guarantee an efficient overall digital process while avoiding error-prone duplicate documentation.
Our TeleDoc system is entirely “made in Germany.” This applies to both software development and hardware integration. We source our components exclusively from Europe—from reputable and reliable manufacturers.
Our system meets the technical requirements for medical practice and video services—in particular with regard to technical security and data protection. These are regulated in accordance with Appendix 31b of the Federal Framework Agreement for Doctors. You can find “TeleDoc” in the list of certified video service providers.
Bei Docs in Clouds stehen unsere Kunden im Mittelpunkt. Your satisfaction motivates us to continuously improve.
Over 200 retirement homes already rely on our TeleDoc-Mobile, including more than 50 facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia. If you are interested, we would be happy to put you in touch with one of our reference customers so that you can learn more about the use of televisits in geriatric care.
For me, telemedicine is an opportunity to reduce stressful situations for nursing staff. There is a particular shortage of doctors in geriatric care. Telemedicine allows rapid medical expertise to be obtained. In addition, the pressure on our nursing staff is reduced, while job satisfaction increases. We hope to be able to reduce the number of hospital admissions even further in the future.
Arno Brauckmann
In geriatric care in particular, the shortage of medical professionals leads to unnecessary hospital admissions. Many of these medical interventions could also be carried out under medical supervision at the facility—much to the benefit of patients, who view telemedicine applications very positively. Patients with severe dementia in particular benefit from being cared for in their familiar surroundings. Telemedicine also supports us in terms of employee satisfaction: our nursing staff has acquired new medical knowledge through training courses and benefits significantly from the ability to request rapid medical assistance in stressful situations.
Tizian Pfister
If not, please let us know where any bottlenecks exist, e.g.
We would be happy to analyze your situation together during a free, no-obligation consultation and then plan the next steps.
Please let us know what we can do for you so that we can provide you with the best possible support. Our system is modular and can be customized to suit your individual needs and workflow.
We will be happy to answer all your questions during a free, no-obligation consultation and lay the groundwork for a personalized quote!
We are always available to provide you with information about our TeleDoc Mobile, our TeleDoc software, or to address any other concerns you may have. So please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Alternatively, you may already find an answer to your question in our FAQ.
Der TeleDoc-Mobile wurde in mehreren Projekten zur Verbesserung der telemedizinischen Versorgung in der Altenpflege eingesetzt.
Here are a few examples:
In 2018, for example, TeleDoc-Mobile was tested in a project in Wermelskirchen. The family doctor reported that no urgent house calls were made during the study period. Before the study began, however, there were often unplanned urgent visits on weekends (M. Ohligs, Clinical interventions in aging 2020, 1427-1437.).
Project AIDA: In 2021, a nursing home in the Eifel region introduced our system. The data showed that unplanned hospital admissions of residents fell by 35.7% compared to 2018/19 < after they received regular telemedicine visits from their family doctor. As a result, the AOK health insurance company has signed the “VisitOn” selective contract with 11 nursing facilities and continues to promote virtual home visits (A.-C. Redeker, Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023.).
Projekt OPTIMAL: In this project, 24 retirement homes in the Aachen district were connected to our system. In contrast to AIDA, however, the focus here was on acute issues where medical advice was needed but the family doctor was not available. The 24 facilities were therefore able to contact a doctor from the emergency room at Aachen University Hospital 24/7 via teleconsultation.
In addition, our product has been in use by more than 100 customers in Germany and the Netherlands since 2019.
Although video consultations are an efficient form of medical advice and support, they cannot replace telemedicine with medical diagnostics. This is because medical diagnostics are necessary for accurate diagnoses, ruling out serious illnesses, and monitoring the progression of diseases. In addition, medical devices provide objective information for informed decisions and personalized treatments. Medical diagnostics are therefore indispensable for comprehensive care and better results in telemedicine, also for legal reasons.
Doctors can bill for teleconsultations according to EBM and GOÄ, as we are a certified video service provider listed with the KBV.
You can find more information about remuneration here.
In principle, nursing homes cannot bill for teleconsultations/televisits, as these are services provided by doctors that are billed to health insurance companies. However, there are two selective contracts that were developed as part of pilot projects and provide for the billing of services provided by care facilities when medical services are delegated and video consultations are conducted. These are the VisitOn selective contract in North Rhine-Westphalia (valid from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2025) and the selective contract in Saxony (valid from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024).
Care facilities Teleconsultation and delegation Section 140a SGB V from January 1, 2023
Televisits improve medical care in inpatient nursing
Yes, there are even several ways to promote investments in telemedicine. One of them is the Nursing Staff Reinforcement Act (PpSG). This allows inpatient care facilities to receive a one-time grant of up to €12,000 for the purchase of digital or technical equipment.
As a result, up to 40 percent of the funds spent by the care facility are subsidized.
In Saxony, for example, projects in the field of digitization in healthcare and telemedicine applications are being promoted. Personnel and material expenses as well as expenses for investments and external services are eligible for funding. In this sense, 80% of the expenses are subsidized. More information can be found here:
eHealthSax – Part A – Digitalization in healthcare and telemedicine applications
In teleconsultations, responsibility for the diagnosis and the resulting decisions lies with the treating physician. The professionals who take on the delegation are then responsible for ensuring that it is carried out correctly.
Yes, we are happy to offer training on how to use TeleDoc-Mobile in connection with the purchase of the product. During the training, you, your employees, and participating physicians will learn about all relevant hardware and software functions.
The aim of the training is to first and foremost reduce any inhibitions you may have about using telemedicine equipment. Afterwards, you and your team will be well prepared to use televisits in geriatric care!
© Docs in Clouds TeleCare GmbH 2024.
All rights reserved.
Unsere TeleDoc-Starter-Videosprechstunde ist DSGVO-konform und entspricht höchsten IT-Sicherheitsstandards sowie den hohen Anforderungen gemäß Anlage 31b des Bundesmantelvertrag-Ärzte (BMV-Ä). Zudem sind wir bei der kassenärzt-lichen Bundesvereinigung (KBV) als Videodienstanbieter gelistet.
Unsere Priorität liegt auf dem umfassenden Datenschutz Ihrer Patienten. Daher implementieren wir bei jeder Videokonsultation eine Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung. Dies bedeutet, dass die Verbindung ausschließlich zwischen den beteiligten Geräten besteht, wodurch Dritten der Zugang verwehrt bleibt.
Zusätzlich richten wir für jeden Kunden eine dedizierte und sichere MedCast-Cloud ein, in der sämtliche während des Gesprächs erhobenen Daten und Dokumentationen verschlüsselt gespeichert werden. Der Zugriff auf diese Daten ist ausschließlich Ihnen als Kunden vorbehalten, da Sie über den entsprechenden Schlüssel verfügen, um die Informationen zu entschlüsseln und darauf zuzugreifen. Auf diese Weise garantieren wir höchste Vertraulichkeit und Sicherheit für Ihre sensiblen Informationen.
Enjoy the highest level of data privacy with our TeleDoc-Starter video consultation service, which complies with the GDPR regulations. Our platform follows the strictest IT security standards, keeping your patients’ information confidential and protected. It uses state-of-the-art security features and encryption methods, preventing your patients’ medical data from being accessed by unauthorized parties.
We place special emphasis on the comprehensive data protection of your patients. Therefore, we use end-to-end encryption during every video consultation. This means that the video connection exists solely between the involved devices, and third parties cannot access it.
In addition, we set up a dedicated and secure MedCast Cloud for each client, where all data and documentation collected during the conversation are encrypted and stored. Access to this data is exclusively reserved for you as the client, as you have the corresponding key to decrypt and access the information. This ensures the highest level of confidentiality and security for your sensitive information.
