University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle received grant money last fall that enables rural healthcare providers to consult with a panel of pain experts remotely.
“Pain is one of the most common reasons why people go to the emergency room; pain that is not well controlled,” said Ardith Doorenbos, RN, PhD, FAAN, associate professor, biobehavioral nursing and health systems at UW SON. Her team received two grants, an RO1 and an R42, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Nursing Research (of the National Institutes of Health) to create a telehealth project.
Telehealth, a type of teleconferencing, bridges geographic distance and increases access to specialist care in rural settings. Benefits include improved access to specialists; interdisciplinary consultation; dissemination of evidence-based practice; building capacity of rural primary care practitioners; providing situation/case-based learning; and meeting needs for continuing medical education required through Washington State regarding long-acting opioid education.
“What makes our project unique is the expert panel we have brought together and the need for this in Washington State with the new law on pain consultation,” Doorenbos said in a news release.
“Some of the practitioners we’ve teleconferenced with have noted that they now have access to people they would never have access to otherwise,” said Cara Towle, RN, MSN, director of telehealth services at UW School of Medicine. Towle assisted Doorenbos in submitting grant applications.
The expert panel includes five specialists who meet weekly at UWMC Roosevelt Clinic for an hour and a half to connect with rural providers from around the state. The team hears one to three cases per session. Though it’s too early to report on patient outcomes, the model has demonstrated success for practitioners.
“We are hopeful that telehealth will provide better pain management in the patient population in the rural setting,” Doorenbos said.
“Pain is one of the most common reasons why people go to the emergency room; pain that is not well controlled,” said Ardith Doorenbos, RN, PhD, FAAN, associate professor, biobehavioral nursing and health systems at UW SON. Her team received two grants, an RO1 and an R42, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Nursing Research (of the National Institutes of Health) to create a telehealth project.
Telehealth, a type of teleconferencing, bridges geographic distance and increases access to specialist care in rural settings. Benefits include improved access to specialists; interdisciplinary consultation; dissemination of evidence-based practice; building capacity of rural primary care practitioners; providing situation/case-based learning; and meeting needs for continuing medical education required through Washington State regarding long-acting opioid education.
“What makes our project unique is the expert panel we have brought together and the need for this in Washington State with the new law on pain consultation,” Doorenbos said in a news release.
“Some of the practitioners we’ve teleconferenced with have noted that they now have access to people they would never have access to otherwise,” said Cara Towle, RN, MSN, director of telehealth services at UW School of Medicine. Towle assisted Doorenbos in submitting grant applications.
The expert panel includes five specialists who meet weekly at UWMC Roosevelt Clinic for an hour and a half to connect with rural providers from around the state. The team hears one to three cases per session. Though it’s too early to report on patient outcomes, the model has demonstrated success for practitioners.
“We are hopeful that telehealth will provide better pain management in the patient population in the rural setting,” Doorenbos said.
