Prototype database for telerehabilitation.

Abstract

Telerehabilitation is a promising alternative health-care delivery system, but currently lacks broad-based empirical support for the efficacy and cost utility of its interventions. This article describes the development of a database at INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center (IJTRC) that will link the delivery of telerehabilitation services, reimbursement, and outcomes evaluation. The database is a culmination of the combined efforts of administrators, clinicians, and information technology professionals. Feasibility of the project was first established from technical, economic, and organizational perspectives. The current workflow and documentation processes were analyzed and enhanced. This was followed by data modeling and design of the database architecture in terms of network, security, scalability, and system specification. A prototype was created in Microsoft Access with the final product planned in Structured Query Language (SQL) with a front-end in JAVA JSP. The initial results with the database have been encouraging in terms of increased efficacy and security, process streamlining, error reduction, and collection of comprehensive standardized data for statistical analysis of clinical and research outcomes.