In collaboration with West Health Institute and a cohort of content experts, NITA is established with these basic principles and guidelines for telehealth for older adults, as follows:

PRINCIPLES:

Telehealth services should be PERSON-CENTERED

The person being served should be at the center of all decision-making. The older adults’ care preferences, goals, wishes, abilities, support system, and conditions should be accounted for.

Telehealth services should be EQUITABLE & ACCESSIBLE

Regardless of age, ability, socio-economic status, health literacy, technology literacy, and access, everyone should have equal access to the same level of high-quality care

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Telehealth services should be INTEGRATED & COORDINATED

Systems should be set up to facilitate access to the information and support necessary to provide quality care to older adults. This includes cooperation and communication between and within systems and stakeholders. ID

ELINES

GUIDELINES:

Older adult-friendly telehealth should be person-centered in that it …

1. Accounts for older adults’ healthcare goals, care preferences, and ‘what matters’
2. Promotes high-value use cases that drive older-adult-focused goals, incorporating payer and provider perspectives
3. Supports coordination and continuity of care
4. Ensures that older adults and their caregivers are prepared and understand what to expect from a telehealth encounter
5. Promotes opportunities to use telehealth to increase access to care while reducing avoidable costs
6. Reduces time to see providers across healthcare settings
7. Incorporates older adults’ families and caregivers when appropriate and consistent with the older adults’ wishes

Older adult-friendly telehealth should be equitable and accessible in that it …

1. Accounts for older adults’ physical and cognitive differences
2. Accounts for cultural and linguistic differences of older adults and their caregivers
3. Accounts for technology literacy and readiness of older adults and their caregivers
4. Uses telehealth to address needs across all settings, including the home, as promptly as possible
5. Ensures that staff and providers engage in ongoing education on best practices for using telehealth with older adults
6. Accounts for differences in access to technology and connectivity

Older adult-friendly telehealth should be integrated and coordinated in that it …

1. Facilitates access to older adults’ health history for telehealth providers
2. Facilitates safe, coordinated transitions of care
3. Is integrated into the care continuum/provider practice
4. Connects crucial stakeholders throughout the entire process
5. Supports staff working at the top of their licenses to drive efficiency