CED Upgrades Facilities to Provide Telemedicine Services

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Transportation continues to be a barrier to services for individuals with disabilities and their families living in West Virginia. To better serve clients who cannot travel to the CED’s offices, the CED invested in technology to provide telemedicine services. Telemedicine services provide the opportunity for a trained provider to speak directly with a family and provide the needed services without having to be in person. A variety of services can be provided using this method including, but not limited to, clinical services, social services and information and referral. These methods also broaden the center’s ability to train families, providers and trainees from multiple disciplines without overwhelming a family with a large group of trainees who may be shadowing the visit. The new technology allows the center to partner with other centers throughout the state and nation on training efforts.

CED’s clinical space is now equipped with 3 video stations that allow users to broadcast services through a secure network, record sessions for future viewing and collaborate with clients and practitioners in other parts of the state and country.

“Our new telemedicine system has greatly extended the reach of the CED’s Feeding and Swallowing Clinic. We can now teleconference with a child’s therapists, teachers, or caregivers who are not able to attend clinic in person. We can also provide follow-up appointments for families directly in their homes. Telemedicine allows the child to receive intervention in their natural environment. Families are also given the opportunity to take home a video recording of their session to revisit the strategies they learned or to share with other providers to discuss recommendations.” said Cassie Miller, CED Feeding Clinic Coordinator.