Abstract
Child abuse and neglect have devastating financial and psychological effects on children, families, and communities. Home visitation has been found to reduce the risk of child abuse by enhancing parent–child interaction and decreasing the incidence of physical punishment. This project was instituted to assess the acceptance and reliability of integrating inexpensive Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)-based video technology (8 × 8 VIATV) into an existing program and to determine client and nurse satisfaction with the technology. At-risk families were recruited for the study if the mother was pregnant or had delivered within the past year and was available to participate in the study for 6 months. Subjects participated in the regular family intervention program in addition to having the POTS technology installed in their homes. Nurses also had the technology in their homes to give subjects access to them at all times. The POTS system had low acceptance by patients and nurses because of logistic and technical difficulties. Satisfaction was rather low due mainly to the type of equipment and picture quality. Program efficiency did not increase because of the time spent on technical aspects of the technology. Finally, several elements for a critical path were identified. Further study utilizing a more sophisticated telehealth application and technical support would enhance interventions for this population. Integration of the technology into the family's life would enhance acceptance and reduce disruption in the home.
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