(1/24/99)

Imagine having a nurse sitting at bedside with a homebound patient - without ever being there! As patients and home nursing services struggle to survive on dwindling federal funds, one Utah agency is trying something new. Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports.

LaRae and Gerald suffer from multiple health problems. But despite drastic cuts in Medicare, they're home care nurse is still paying a visit. "Hello - howdy - hi - are you on your computer?"

LaRae is seeing registered nurse Alan Durtschi, but Alan is NOT actually here. About 20 miles away, community nursing service is in full communication with the patient both audibly and visually - as if a nurse had paid a personal visit to the home."

"Go ahead and push the yellow stethoscope button." Alan listens to her heartrate, breathing, and checks blood pressure, pulse and blood glucose levels.

"Did you eat yet today?" "No, I didn't." "Okay, good." LaRae follows instructions, relaying data in real time back to the nurse. And both see each other on camera.

Grant Howarth, the C.E.O. of Community Nursing Services, says, "One of the nice things about this system is the patient only has to push one or two buttons in order to activate the system and be face to face with somebody who can give them advice."

LaRae explains, "When you're ill, sometimes you panic and you worry, and to have a nurse to take time and have to come out is very expensive."

Gerald adds, "If we had to pay for the doctor's office call and a medical business everytime we had a problem, plus the drugs, we really couldn't afford it."

The camera can even check how well wounds are healing, dosages on bedside syringes or expiration dates on medications.

Alan says, "And so I'm looking at going from maybe seeing four to six, maybe eight patients a day to up to 20, maybe even 25, 30 patients a day."

Some believe the system may eventually show a 35 percent cost savings for home care.

One national study says TeleMed, in the home of the elderly, might reduce 56 percent of re-hospitalizations. It might also prove valuable at bedside with hospice patients.