Operational Assessment for U. S. Air Force Supports Benefits of Expanding Access to Therapy through Behavior Imaging® -- a New Tele-health Technology
Online Consultation Platform for Applied Behavior Analysis Demonstrates Tangible Value as Affordable and Effective Clinical Supervision Tool
(PRWEB) December 16, 2010
Behavior Imaging Solutions, a leader in tele-health technology, today announced the results of its recently completed Operational Assessment, conducted on behalf of the U. S. Air Force Medical Service. The study, involving 33 military families with at least one child with autism, assessed the effectiveness of the company’s online consultation platform to facilitate remote access to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services through a proprietary video capture system connected to a HIPAA-compliant web server.
During the 3-month assessment, families and caregivers used Behavior Imaging® technology in the home to record, annotate and share ABA therapy sessions or the child’s behavior on video, which were then reviewed and annotated remotely by certified ABA therapy supervisors at four autism service agencies. Pre - and post-assessment surveys were administered to families and therapists to evaluate the technology’s effectiveness.
Those assessment surveys demonstrated that, when the therapist and families are both actively engaged in the treatment process, the benefits of Behavior Imaging® technology include:
Significant time and expense savings for therapist and family More relevant information communicated to caregiver and therapist Better understanding of complex behaviors by therapist supervisor More accurate assessments of behavioral trends and progress More effective supervision and training of therapists in the field
According to retired U. S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Timothy Lacy M. D., who served as Chief of Telehealth for USAF Medical Service from 2005 to 2010, “The results of this Operational Assessment are encouraging. They suggest that Behavior Imaging® technology can help military families and providers who must understand and treat children with complex neuro-behavioral disorders such as autism. Unfortunately, many families have limited access to certified behavioral healthcare providers and therapists. This technology partially addresses that problem by providing remote access to expert professional supervision and therapy.” An interview with Dr. Lacy, discussing the Operational Assessment, is currently available at http://www. behaviorimaging. com/html/lacy. htm.
Ron Oberleitner, CEO of Behavior Imaging Solutions, said, “We’re very encouraged by the findings of the Operational Assessment for these military families with a child with autism. We are also excited to see Behavior Imaging® being used by the military to support Virtual Reality care for soldiers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and we believe our technology may help improve access to care for patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, stroke and anxiety. Further, the potential scope of this technology includes primary care treatment and referral, special education, medication management and a range of supervision and training applications.”
Oberleitner noted: “Similar to echocardiograms, CT and MRI scans, and other traditional tools used for internal body imaging, Behavior Imaging® has the potential to become the standard imaging modality for behavioral and mental health conditions.” In fact, the company is already involved in a number of tele-health projects related to a broad range of market needs, and in addition to the U. S. Department of Defense, clients include public and private schools and universities, state-wide school systems, and behavioral healthcare facilities located in 30 states and 6 countries overseas.
Behavior Imaging Solutions, Inc. (Boise, Idaho) is a privately owned healthcare technology company dedicated to advancing Behavior Imaging® as a means of more effectively assessing, treating, and training professionals working with autism, brain disorders, PTSD, and other behavioral conditions. For more information, visit http://www. BehaviorImaging. com. Founded in 2005, the company was formerly called Caring Technologies, Inc.
###
