Videoconferencing Tools Research Articles

Preface for CEEPE 2020 Proceedings

The 3rd International Conference on Energy, Electrical, and Power Engineering (CEEPE) was planned to be held in April 24-26, 2020, in Chongqing, China, and was co-sponsored by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Wuhan University, China; Shandong University, China; South Asia Institute of Science and Engineering (SAISE) and IEEE PES Chongqing Chapter.Due to the unexpected COVID 19 pandemic, that closed the world to national and international travel, the organization decided to hold the CEEPE 2020 totally online. It was a challenge, not only to the organizers, but also to the participants who were delivering their speeches using videoconference tools, under different time zones.This conference brought together researchers and engineers in academia and industry from China, Iraq, Japan and Portugal to discuss the latest developments and implementation, in these countries, of electrical power in applications ranging from commercial generation and distribution, to electric vehicles, with a particular focus on renewable energy integration in power systems, automation and control systems.Although there was not the opportunity to meet face-to-face under a live social environment, attendees from different areas of the world could interact under the videoconference tool, clarify their doubts and establish business and technical connections. The proceedings of these presentations are listed here in peer reviewed, written form.Nídia CaetanoCoordinator Professor of Chemical EngineeringSchool of Engineering (ISEP)Polytechnic of Porto (P.Porto)

Transition to Web-based Interviews for Residency Programs during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Sir, Due to the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, residency interviews for the upcoming 2020–2021 match cycle have shifted to an online format as part of the social distancing guidelines.1 American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons has urged for the scheduling of virtual interviews starting December 7, 2019. Several piloted programs in different specialties have successfully studied the efficacy of the online interview format. In 2014, Loma Linda anesthesiology provided an optional web-based interview format—an equal number of applicants from both interview types were ranked in the upper-half of the list.2 University of Texas Southwestern has effectively offered online interviews for certain programs for 2 application cycles.3 Currently, few guidelines exist for a web-based residency interview. Some recommendations we set forth include an online resident–student video conference, which may give students a sense of the program. Zoom and WebEx are currently popular tools selected for video conferencing purposes. Due to high likelihood of variation in the tools selected by the programs for the purposes of the interview, applicants should familiarize themselves with the interface and directions ahead of the interview. Applicants and interviewers should follow the application’s testing guidelines before the interview to ensure that the stream-based application, internet connection, and utilities, such as an internal microphone, are working coherently with interview application and do not require previous configuration. Websites such as “SpeedTest” can assess the internet speed. Before the interview, both applicants and programs should ensure that their servers can maintain the proper connection bandwidth—2–5 Mbps up and download are recommended for a stable connection. Programs and applicants should also remain updated about potential internet outages in their area. A mock run of the interview should be completed on behalf of the applicant, with individuals and advisors from their own program (if available), to ensure a seamless experience. During the live interview, other computer applications, including FaceTime or text messaging, should be disabled. Many video conference tools include a “Do Not Disturb” status, which can be used to reduce distractions.3 Another more obvious guideline includes finding a quiet space without distractions. This space should have a blank background and should be well lit. Faces should not be washed-out with the lighting. An external web-camera or microphone may be required to avoid poor resolution. The programs may elect to collaborate with their Information and Technology department to be present during the live stream to adequately deal with possible disconnections. In this article, we attempt to provide possible suggestions for this upcoming virtual interview. Online interviews can reduce the economic burden shouldered by plastic residency applicants, who may feel pressured to attend a higher number of interviews for a successful match. Some applicants are unable to attend interviews due to weather delays or scheduling issues. Additionally, for students completing clerkships during the fourth year, this mitigates the need for discretionary time during interview months. Based on this upcoming cycle, this interview format may become a gold standard in place of in-person interviews or a screen before an interview offer. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.

Telehealth During COVID-19 for Remote Vision Rehabilitation of a Patient with mTBI

Background: Binocular and accommodative vision problems are common after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Traditionally, the management of visual dysfunctions following mTBI included in-office vision rehabilitation with a trained eye care provider. The concept of providing telehealth for remote vision rehabilitation in mTBI patients is a relatively novel practice that has not been widely utilized until the recent outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Case Report: We describe the implementation of telehealth for remote vision rehabilitation during COVID-19 within the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) system in an adult patient with multiple confirmed histories of mTBI. Conclusion: Our telehealth remote vision rehabilitation was successfully implemented utilizing established VHA’s web-based videoconferencing tools. Therapeutic goals identified prior to COVID 19 were addressed without any challenges. The delivery of vision rehabilitation intervention via telehealth allowed for the continuance of services within the home setting that led to improvements in functional vision, decreased perception of performance challenges, and improved quality of life.

Impact of COVID‐19 on clinical practice

These are strange times. As I write this, we are yet to reach the peak of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK. For academics like me, it has been reasonably easy to adjust to home working, sitting in the damp and cold office in our cellar, getting to grips with a multitude of different video-conferencing tools. Teaching is being redesigned to suit online delivery after the Easter break, but most non-COVID-19 related clinical research has paused. Away from work, I'm getting my daily exercise with the family – a weird affair, as we cheerfully cross the road to avoid passing too close to a person walking the other way. Finding eggs and flour in the supermarket is impossible, but at least there is toilet roll now. Of course, the impact on clinical practice is something I am certain I will never witness again in my lifetime. My poor hospital colleagues are experiencing the terrifying brunt of the pandemic, and routine practice has ceased. In contrast, my own clinical work as a GP has dwindled and comprises primarily phone calls, as people avoid their GP surgery at all costs. We've been trying to persuade patients for years that antibiotics won't fix viral infections, but people are all too aware that there is currently nothing their GP can prescribe that will treat SARS-CoV-2. But there are nonetheless some really important issues that have arisen from the perspective of medicines use in primary care. There are shortages of inhalers as patients stockpile just in case they get sick, and pharmacies are requesting that repeat prescriptions are not reissued too early, again to maintain supplies. I suspect the standards of drug monitoring and medication review have dropped considerably, and one must ask whether prescribing in the absence of standard face-to-face clinical assessment could be leading to harm. People are asking about the safety of ibuprofen – the evidence suggests that it may prolong other respiratory illnesses, although whether that translates to COVID-19 is as yet unknown. So paracetamol is a preferred option, despite the considerable lack on many shop shelves. Questions have also been asked about the safety of ACE inhibitor use, the third most commonly prescribed drug class in primary care. Because SARS-CoV-2 enters its target cells using angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and expression of this enzyme is increased in patients taking ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II-receptor blockers, concerns have been raised that these drugs may increase severe infection rates, although theoretical benefits in terms of reducing serious lung complications have also been suggested. Again, the jury is out, but the MHRA advice is to continue these for now until further information is available. Repurposing of certain drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine and HIV antivirals, are being explored in clinical trials; some of these have been added to a growing list of products for which parallel exports have been banned to ensure the UK retains sufficient supplies (disturbingly, this list also includes various anaesthetic agents for those people requiring ventilation). I am certain that the impact of the pandemic on prescribing (and indeed life more generally) will be felt for years to come. Whether it makes us more appreciative of the huge benefits pharmaceuticals bring to us, or improves how effectively we use medicines, remains to be seen. For now, we must get though the coming difficult months, and simply acknowledge the wonderful work that all those amazing prescribers and other people working in the health service are doing. Thank you all and stay safe.

Home Virtual Visits for Outpatient Follow-Up Stroke Care: Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundTimely, in-person access to health care is a challenge for people living with conditions such as stroke that result in frailty, loss of independence, restrictions in driving and mobility, and physical and cognitive decline. In Southeastern Ontario, access is further complicated by rurality and the long travel distances to visit physician clinics. There is a need to make health care more accessible and convenient. Home virtual visits (electronic visits, eVisits) can conveniently connect physicians to patients. Physicians use a secure personal videoconferencing tool to connect to patients in their homes. Patients use their device of choice (smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop) for the visit.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the feasibility and logistics of implementing eVisits in a stroke prevention clinic for seniors.MethodsA 6-month eVisit pilot study was initiated in the Kingston Health Sciences Centre stroke prevention clinic in August 2018. eVisits were used only for follow-up patient encounters. An integrated evaluation was used to test the impact of the program on clinic workflow and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by telephone interviews, using a brief questionnaire. Access and patient satisfaction metrics were compared with concurrent standard of care (patients’ prior personal experience with in-person visits). Values are presented as median (interquartile range).ResultsThere were 75 subjects in the pilot. The patients were aged 65 (56-73.5) years, and 39% (29/75) resided in rural areas. There was a shorter wait for an appointment by eVisit versus in-person (mean 59.98 [SD 48.36] days vs mean 78.36 [SD 50.54] days; P<.001). The eVisit was also shorter, taking on an average of only 10 min to deliver follow-up care with a high degree of patient satisfaction versus 90 (60-112) min for in-person care. The total time saved by patients per eVisit was 80 (50-102) min, 44 (21-69) min of which was travel time. Travel distance avoided by the patients was 30.1 km (11.2-82.2). The estimated total out-of-pocket cost savings for patients per eVisit was Can $52.83 (31.26-94.53). The estimated savings (opportunity cost for in-person outpatient care) for our eVisit pilot project was Can $23,832-$28,584. The patient satisfaction with eVisits was very good compared with their prior personal experience with in-person outpatient care.ConclusionsThe eVisit program was well received by patients, deemed to be safe by physicians, and avoided unnecessary patient travel and expense. It also has the potential to reduce health care costs. We plan to scale the project within the department and the institution.

Gesture in speaking tasks beyond the classroom: An exploration of the multimodal negotiation of meaning via Skype videoconferencing on mobile devices

This qualitative study attempts to explicate the role of gestures formed with learners’ hands and technology during second language speaking tasks via Skype videoconferencing tools, accessed on mobile devices. The theory of negotiation of meaning according to the Varonis and Gass model of non-understandings (1985) underpins the study. Data was collected from ten intermediate English language learners via recordings of their task-based interactions and stimulated recall interviews. The study found that gestures support forms of negotiation through affording participants a range of visual and embodied clues which operate in close conjunction with their language use. Findings suggest that gestures play a role in the establishment of joint attention and negotiation of vocabulary; and they are exploited to appeal for assistance and scaffold interlocutors. In some instances, gestures also potentially confuse learners. The deployment of mobile technologies was found to transform and mediate gestures in complex ways. Learners also experience challenges in their co-ordination of multimodal talk from beyond the classroom.

Launching a video consultation service for child psychiatry in Pohjois-Savo region: opinions and experiences of the trained target groups

Video conferencing (VC) and other telemedicine tools may help to improve the quality and availability of care in remote, sparsely populated areas. The transnational “eHealth Services for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (eCAP), 2015-2018” project aims at developing new solutions for mental health care for children and adolescents in remote communities. In Finland, the Department of Child Psychiatry at Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) launched in early 2017 an online booking system and a browser-based VC solution to support the primary healthcare and other professionals working with children in Pohjois-Savo region by facilitating video-based consultations, supervision and support for treatment. Over 200 professionals in the region were trained to use the service.&#x0D; For evaluating the provided training and gaining insight for the revealed non-use of the service, an online survey was administered to the trained persons in December 2017-January 2018. The respondents (n=89, response rate 45 %) demonstrated high satisfaction with the provided training, yet majority of them had not used the service and could not assess its functionality. They embraced the idea of video consultations, but there had been no need for that in practice yet, or more training or reminding about the service was desired. Some had faced technical problems preventing them from using the service. However, nearly 90 % of the respondents said that they will or might use the service in the future – often conditionally, “if there will be a need”.&#x0D; The results clearly demonstrate the importance of customer-orientation, training, constant promotion and reinforcement when introducing new telemedicine services.

An Analysis of Videoconferencing Learning in Primary Schools

This study investigated how teaching English through an interactive videoconferencing tool develops learners’ language performance and also supports their psychological efficacy in primary English language settings. Videoconferencing in the English class involved 201 primary school students for eight weeks in Jeonnam Province. The results indicated that students showed positive learning behavior and productive achievement in language learning using the videoconferencing tool. In addition, the study found that interacting online with distant native-speaking teachers enhanced students’ motivation and interest in learning. This seems to indicate that multimedia assisted language learning (MALL) can facilitate learners’ self-directed language learning and other learning strategies. Furthermore, implementing videoconferencing teaching methodology can be a way of providing significant pedagogical benefits to the geographically disadvantaged areas including the large number of islands located in Korea.

Integrated and Collaborative Care as challenge in Mental Health

Integrated and Collaborative Care as challenge in Mental Health

Paediatric tumour boards in Spain: a national survey.

Multidisciplinary tumour boards (MDTs) are conducted worldwide for the management of patients with cancer, and they deliver a higher standard of care by simultaneously involving different specialists in diagnosis and treatment planning. However, information of paediatric MDTs functioning is scarce. A pilot study was conducted in Spain in the frame of the European Expert Paediatric Oncology Reference Network for Diagnostics and Treatment (ExPO-r-Net). A specific questionnaire was designed regarding various features of MDT practice. Data collected included information on the centres and the team, infrastructure for meetings, MDT organization/logistics and clinical decision-making. The survey was distributed to all Paediatric Oncology Units that register patients in the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumours (RETI-SEHOP). 32 out of 43 contacted centres responded the questionnaire (74% response rate; 88% response rate for centres with >25 new patients/year). All units with >25 new patients/year have a dedicated Paediatric MDT compared to 76% of units with ≤25 new patients/year. MDTs should be improved at institutional level by clear protected time in service planning for all specialists involved, incentives for attendance and attendance registration. Clinical decision-making process and follow-up of recommendation adherence should be assessed and potential legal responsibilities for physicians participating in Tumour Board defined. Network collaboration through virtual MDTs, using available videoconferencing tools, is an opportunity to share expertise among centres.

Perceptions of webcam use by experienced online teachers and learners: a seeming disconnect between research and practice

Videoconferencing tools, like Skype, etc., are being increasingly used in language education worldwide. Despite assumed socio-affective and pedagogical benefits of using webcams in synchronous online language lessons, such as the feeling of co-presence or the possibilities of non-verbal communication, little is known about attitudes held by experienced online teachers towards webcams and their actual use of this tool during private online language lessons. This study interviews 20 experienced online language tutors and 20 adult students about their attitudes towards webcams and their use of webcams. The findings suggest that most teachers and students only used webcams at the start of their lessons for socio-affective reasons and discontinued the use of webcams after the first 2–3 weeks. Some common reasons for reducing the use of webcams were the perception of ‘webcamming’ as a more tiring mode, the feeling of self-consciousness and privacy concerns. The study calls for more research on the use of webcams, webcam-specific semio-pedagogical skills and suggests directions of future studies.

Utilization of a Mobile Videoconferencing Tool (FaceTime) for Real-time Evaluation of Critically Ill Residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Utilization of a Mobile Videoconferencing Tool (FaceTime) for Real-time Evaluation of Critically Ill Residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Utilization of a Mobile Videoconferencing Tool (FaceTime) for Real-time Evaluation of Critically Ill Neurosurgical Patients

Utilization of a Mobile Videoconferencing Tool (FaceTime) for Real-time Evaluation of Critically Ill Neurosurgical Patients

The Impact of the Webcam on an Online L2 Interaction

Abstract:It is intuitively felt that visual cues should enhance online communication, and this experimental study aims to test this prediction by exploring the value provided by a webcam in an online L2 pedagogical teacher-to-learner interaction. A total of 40 French undergraduate students with a B2 level in English were asked to describe in English four previously unseen photographs to a native English-speaking teacher of EFL via Skype, a free web-based videoconferencing tool, during a 10-minute interaction. Twenty students were assigned to the videoconferencing condition and 20 to the audioconferencing condition. All 40 interactions were recorded using dynamic screen capture software and were analyzed with ELAN, a multimodal data annotation tool. Participants’ perceptions of the online interaction are first compared with regard to the issues of social presence and their understanding and appreciation of the online interaction, using data gathered from a post-task questionnaire. The study then explores whether seeing the interlocutor’s image impacts on the patterns of these synchronous exchanges and on the word search episodes. Results indicated that the impact of the webcam on the online pedagogical interaction was not as critical as had been predicted.

Enabling the Knowledge Management Environment in SEE Countries through Harmonized Codification Using Information and Communication Technologies

Considering the importance of creation of Knowledge Management Environment in SEE countries, comparable with the EU Environment, trends and situation in EU countries,and the variety of available Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Solutions on the market, it is a difficult and challenging task of deciding what type of ICT solutions to use in support of creation of Knowledge Management Environmentin SEE. This paper aims to research the state of harmonized codification using the Information and Communication Technologies in SEE countries by investigating the role of ICT in creation of the successful Environment for Knowledge Management. Codification of Knowledgeusing information and communication technology (ICT) have made it easier to acquire, store, or disseminate knowledge than ever before, many organizations are employing IT to facilitate sharing and integration of knowledge. SEE countries are being advised that to remain competitive, they must efficiently and effectively create, locate, capture, and share their knowledge and expertise, and have the ability to bring that knowledge to bear on problems and opportunities. SEE countries are showing a serious interest in implementing knowledge management processes and technologies, and are even beginning to adopt knowledge management as part of their overall development strategy. With the codification approach, more explicit and structured knowledge is codified and stored in knowledge bases. Examples of such IT tools are knowledge expert directories and video-conferencing tools. Both these Knowledge Management approaches are fundamental to understanding the importance of ICT in creation of Environment for Knowledge Management. Positive samples will be useful to be implemented within SEE countries, and as an impact, the contribution of the paper will be shown as a possible model of managing and motivating an environment that supports Knowledge Management Environment in SEE countries, through harmonized codification using Information and Communication Technologies. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n2p301

A case study of integrating Interwise: Interaction, internet self-efficacy, and satisfaction in synchronous online learning environments

&lt;p class="Abstract"&gt;This paper reports research on the implementation of a web-based videoconferencing tool (Interwise) for synchronous learning sessions on an industrial technology course offered through a university in northern Taiwan. The participants included undergraduate students from the same course offered in two different semesters. We investigated students' perceptions of interactions with the instructor and fellow students, their confidence in utilizing the Internet (Internet self-efficacy), and the satisfaction level that students perceived throughout the learning process with Interwise. We also examined the effect of interactions and Internet self-efficacy on student satisfaction. Data collected through paper-based and online surveys were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. The results revealed that overall, learners perceived Interwise as a tool that was moderately easy to use for synchronous learning. Learners seemed to prefer using the Interwise features, such as emotion icons, talk, or raise hand, to interact with their instructor. Learners had high confidence in gathering data or getting support through the Internet, but low confidence in resolving Internet related problems. Both learner-learner and learner-instructor interactions were significant predictors of student satisfaction, while Internet self-efficacy did not significantly contribute to satisfaction. Learner-instructor interaction was found to be the strongest predictor of student satisfaction.&lt;/p&gt;

Uncompressed high-definition videoconferencing tools for telemedicine and distance learning.

Uncompressed high-definition (HD) video image quality is superior to compressed HD video provided in most commercially available videoconferencing products. Uncompressed HD videoconferencing tools provide a more immersive experience because there is no reduction of image information and, in most cases, lower latency. Four open source uncompressed video applications are reviewed that have been tested at the National Library of Medicine: three transmitting uncompressed HD video and one transmitting loosely compressed standard-definition video. The technical requirements for implementing each are described, and test results in terms of image quality, latency, and application reliability are presented. Because the hardware and bandwidth requirements for uncompressed HD video are relatively high and most applications are still under development, they are generally not ready for mass deployment. Some are, however, ready for pilot testing and experimentation in clinical settings by either those who have or anticipate having bandwidth sufficient to support them or those interested in researching the effects higher-quality video may have on diagnostic and other clinical outcomes.

Telementoring: A Multi-institutional Experience with the Introduction of a Novel Surgical Approach for Adrenalectomy

Telementoring is a video-conferencing tool which can deliver expert opinion to physicians and their patients in remote locations. We report our experience with the use of telementoring as a technique to instruct in the performance of posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA). Issues regarding utility, regulation, and future directions of telementoring are addressed. Two consecutive PRAs conducted at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, with telementored guidance from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, are presented. Practical points in implementing cross-institutional telementoring are presented. A review of the current literature was done to discuss medicolegal issues, regulations and a proposal for future implementation of this technique. The PRAs were performed after careful preparation of appropriate issues regarding cross-institutional telementoring. The procedures were performed quickly and safely. Loss of transmission occurred once, but was reestablished within seconds and was not disruptive to the surgical procedure. Patients were discharged within 48 hours and without complications. In our experience, telementoring was convenient and effective in helping with the execution of a new surgical technique. Telementoring is a technical application with utility in remotely helping and guiding another surgeon through the execution of a novel surgical approach. The cyberspace consultation is safe and enhances patient care through a real-time collaborative approach which extends beyond the confines of one institution and one surgeon. Aspects concerning improvement in both implementation and regulation of telementoring mandate further research and creation of nationwide guidelines.

Distance Language Learning

This article provides a report on NetMeeting as an appropriate fourth-generation tool for interactive language learning in distance mode. It follows on earlier research by Wang and Sun (2000, 2001) on the most urgent problem facing distance language education--lack of provision of oral-visual interaction and the emergence of a fourth-generation distance language learning. The article proceeds through three cumulative parts. The first part is a definitional context of interaction and computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a framework for the article. The second part focuses on interaction as a core problem in the language learning literature and suggests a new taxonomy through CMC in terms of the potential for written, oral, and, more recently, oral-visual interaction. The third part, and the substance of the article, is an empirical investigation of Internet-based videoconferencing tools focusing on NetMeeting as the most appropriate one in terms of meeting criteria proposed for such tools.

Telehealth Problem-Solving Therapy for Depressed Low-Income Homebound Older Adults

Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed the efficacy of in-home, short-term problem-solving therapy (PST) for reducing depressive symptoms among medically ill, homebound older adults.1,2 Despite its efficacy with depressed homebound older adults, in-home, in-person PST or other psychotherapy for them is likely to be cost prohibitive. Most mental health and aging-service agencies lack sufficient professional staff to deliver in-person depression interventions at older adults' homes. Travel expenses for in-person delivery are likely to create an undue burden on these providers. Moreover, one study that tested the effectiveness of providing a home delivered, therapeutic psychosocial intervention for rural older adults found that it was not unusual for interventionists to travel an hour to a participant's home for a scheduled appointment only to discover that no one was there, or that the older adult was not feeling well enough to participate in a treatment session.3 Previous studies of telepsychiatry in general, compared to face-to-face modalities, have reported overall favorable findings about reliability of clinical assessment, equivalent clinical outcomes and client satisfaction, and long-term cost effectiveness.4-8 Despite the rapid growth in telepsychiatry over the past decade, however, our literature search yielded only two studies focusing on the practice using videoconferencing link and its effectiveness with frail and disabled older adults: one on psychogeriatric assessment in Hong Kong and the other on dementia assessment in Australia.9,10 In these past practices of telepsychiatry, however, clients had to be at a site where videoconferencing equipment was set up for use by many others. Internet-based, guided self-help PST for depression has been tested with younger age persons with depression.11,12 However, we found no studies that evaluated delivery of psychosocial intervention via an interactive videoconferencing link between a therapist's office and homebound older adults' residences. Telephone-administered psychotherapy for depression or other mental disorders has also been found to be effective and to result in lower attrition rates than in-person psychotherapy.13-16 However, videoconferencing therapy has advantages over telephone delivery of psychotherapy, as it enables therapist and client to maintain visual contact and see nonverbal behavior. Videoconferencing also allows therapist and client to show each other worksheets and other therapy aids. For isolated homebound older adults, the visual contact and interactive nature of videoconferencing are likely to be especially beneficial as they allow most of the benefits of in-person sessions. Considering the resource constraints and high costs of in-person PST delivery and the advantages of videoconferencing over telephone delivery, home-based telehealth PST (tele-PST) may have potential to facilitate homebound older adults' access to depression treatment. With the availability of low-cost videoconferencing tools, real-time, interactive tele-PST, which allows therapists and clients most benefits of in-person sessions, holds promise as the most practical, accessible depression treatment for homebound older adults and disabled persons. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptance and preliminary efficacy of in-home tele-PST (via Skype video call) among low-income homebound older-adults who participated in a pilot RCT designed to test its feasibility and preliminary signal of efficacy, compared to in-person PST and telephone support calls. We examined tele-PST acceptance among these older adults and the changes in depressive symptoms over 24 weeks.