COMMUNITY CARE, DIGITAL HEALTH, ESHIFT, OLDER ADULTS

e-Shift, an innovative home care model: A 3-Year Study – Summary Review of Research Activities

Research Summary

Research Topic:

In response to the needs of older adults at the end-of-life and other patients needing shift nursing care in urban and remote rural settings, and challenges in having sufficient nursing capacity in all locations to provide overnight homecare, the South West Community Care Access Center developed, a new and innovative model of home care called eShift. The eShift model connects unregulated care providers (eShift technicians) providing home care to a remotely-situated Directing Registered Nurse (DRN), through a smart phone application using real-time communication and documentation technology. The DRN monitors and directs appropriate, safe, and effective care provided in collaboration with the technician in real-time. This increases the capacity of the DRN to support many families each shift rather than just one, enhancing quality of care delivery for older adults and their family caregivers, and supporting patients to die at home with fewer ER visits and hospitalizations which saves health system costs.

Findings:

Our study findings suggest that the eShift model of care supported patients to die in their place of choice, reduced caregiver stress and burden, and cost the healthcare system significantly less than dying in hospital. Healthcare providers working in the eShift model, reported high job satisfaction, high interprofessional collaboration, and believed they were providing high quality care to patients and families. Overall, decision-makers, healthcare providers, and family/friend caregivers viewed the eShift model of palliative home care as an innovative and important approach to the delivery of high quality, patient/family-centered palliative home care.

This project is supported by a team of researchers & led by co-principal investigators:

Lorie Donelle, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and School of Health Studies, Western University. ldonelle@uwo.ca

Sandra Regan, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University. sregan4@uwo.ca

Suggested Citation:

Donelle, L., Regan, S. (2017, May). E-shift, an innovative home care model: A 3-Year Study - Summary Review of Research Activities

Resources & Links

Team/Advisors

Dr. Lorie Donelle

Associate professor and research chair, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University

Lorie Donelle was inspired to launch Health in All Data from her research across health literacy, equity, and digital health.

She is an Associate Professor at Western University in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and a Scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute in London Ontario and is an inaugural member of Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Nursing (FCAN). She holds an endowed research chair – the Arthur Labatt Family Chair in Nursing focused on digital health. Dr. Donelle’s research addresses health promotion specific to issues of health & digital health literacy(s), social justice, and digital health. Her research investigates technology-enabled models of healthcare and the relationships between health information technologies and client/clinician health practices. Dr. Donelle contributes to International and national advisory committees for health literacy and digital health.

Dr. Sandra Regan, RN

Deputy Registrar and Executive Director of Education, Policy, and Practice, British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives

Sandra is the Deputy Registrar and Executive Director of Education, Policy, and Practice at the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives.

Sandra’s work focuses on education program review, practice support and consultation, health policy, and research.

Related Projects

Digital surveillance for pandemics: A planning resource for decision-makers

This research project investigates digital technological surveillance strategies purported to mitigate the spread and scope of COVID-19. Patel (2020) argues that “while data can save lives at times of global public health crisis…it can only do this effectively if its use, management and governance, even at times of crisis, is underpinned by clear rules (grounded in law, ethics and human rights) about how best to use data; and trust in institutions to use data well”.

Caring near and far: A multi-province investigation of remote monitoring technologies connecting community-based older adults and their care team.

In-home remote monitoring (RM) technologies can link clients, family/friend caregivers, and health care providers with the goal of supporting older adults to age in place. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of remote monitoring (RM) technologies in the home as a means of supporting older adults to safely remain in their home and avoiding or delaying higher levels of care. This study will also evaluate the cost effectiveness of RM as part of a technology enabled model of home care focused on complex care for older adults and family / friend caregivers.

‘REDI to Care’: Reimagining Systems and Services that Engage Older Adults in Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Care

The primary goal of this big idea initiative is to provide accessible care to individuals residing in LTC institutions and/or within the community. To accomplish this, we are proposing several concurrent and parallel project components.