Telehealth Assessment in the Elderly Using the 4Ms

The current 2019 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has presented new threats and challenges in healthcare, especially when attempting to conduct wellness exams amongst the most vulnerable. Older adults with underlying medical conditions are at great risk for exposure and infection of COVID-19. The Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant was given to the University of North Dakota (UND) to create a geriatric telehealth team and implement a telehealth project, promoting the use of telehealth technologies amongst older adults utilizing the 4Ms (mentation, medication, mobility, and what matters). A modified wellness assessment tool was created and administered through telehealth technology to five older participants. A pre-survey questionnaire was given asking about previous telehealth use and comfort level with technology use. A post-survey questionnaire was given to evaluate the participant’s telehealth experience. Forty percent of the participants felt they received the same level-of-care using telehealth as if they had physically gone to their provider’s office. Overall, 80% of the five participants felt telehealth would be beneficial to them in the future and 80% would also use it again. The project was successful in promoting telehealth while keeping vulnerable participants safely in their homes, reducing their risk of exposure to COVID-19