Epilepsy and Telehealth

archived

The objective of this project is to demonstrate how existing telehealth programs and networks and sites can improve access to quality health care services specifically for children and youth with epilepsy and their families residing in medically underserved areas, MUAs, and rural areas, and decrease existing challenges that families face in rural areas. EAT grants funded under this provision will support telehealth networks that provide services in different settings, eg, long term care facilities, community health centers or clinics, medical homes, hospitals, schools, to demonstrate how telehealth networks can be used to expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of health care services, improve and expand the training of health care providers, and or expand and improve the quality of health information available to health care providers, patients, and their families. These grants will receive technical assistance from The National Center for Project Access, NCPA, which is housed within the National Epilepsy Foundation, EF, and link with existing epilepsy grantees. EAT grantees should focus on the following in regards to their existing Telehealth program. Enhancing the dialogue and collaboration between families and their healthcare providers and increasing the degree to which parents are a valued and integral part of the healthcare team for their child. Improving community wide interventions and models of care that improve access and reduce wait time associated with referrals to specialists. Improving knowledge of and integration with community support services, including partnerships with media and other community based resources such as schools, churches and businesses. Delivering the medical home model of care for children and families that is culturally and linguistically competent, family centered, comprehensive and coordinated. Improving communications in support of children and youth with epilepsy their families including perhaps existing care notebooks, seizure action plans, developed by the existing epilepsy HRSA grantees, to more systematic development of tools such as individualized, written care plans, home medication lists, individualized school support plans, and written plans to support the youth transition to adult care. HRSA will seek to fund projects that effectively integrate administrative and clinical information systems with the proposed telehealth system, integrate the proposed system into each normal healthcare practice of a provider. Projects will also be required to document steps taken to ensure the privacy of patients and clinicians using the system and the confidentiality of information transmitted via the system, including compliance with Federal and State privacy and confidentiality, including HIPAA regulations. In addition, as part of the grant application process, each applicant is required to submit a sustainability plan that outlines its initial strategy on how the services proposed will be sustained after Federal funding has ended. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, MCHB, core values which include family centered care, family professional partnerships and cultural and linguistic competence MUST be integrated throughout project policies and activities. It is vital that public health be the major focus of all applications. MCHB will also require additional data and technical assistance. Review criteria for all of these issues will be described in the guidance.

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