Recent Success Stories

Although legal issues and technical challenges seem to inhibit the growth of telemedicine in this country, I believe its many success stories prove that this technology can enhance the quality of health care for everyone. Here is a sampling of recent successes and new initiatives.

• Robotic Surgery: Remote robotic surgery was used last month to correct an atrial heart flutter in an 70-year-old man in Britain by a surgeon working in an external room where he was able to work without wearing the heavy protective shielding necessary to protect against x-ray radiation used during surgery. And in In 2007, a Johns Hopkins surgeon used a robot to teach a laparoscopic procedure to surgeons located in 5,700 miles away in Argentina.

• Stroke Telemedicine: The Mayo Clinic and other large, centralized hospitals are using audiovisual communications and tele-radiology to improve the care given to stroke patients located at remote hospitals that lack adequate emergency care expertise for stroke patients.

• Cancer Screening and Dermatology: Doctors from The University of Pennsylvania use mobile phones with built-in cameras and custom software to screen for cervical cancer at remotely located villages in Africa. Primary care givers use the phones to send photos and patient information to doctors who review the information and provide clinical guidance to the caregivers. The University of Pennsylvania also successfully piloted the system for dermatology care in Africa.

• Behavioral Health: Telehealth services using interactive video conferencing are used to provide mental health services to patients located in rural locations. Some examples of telehealth services are nutritional therapy, psychiatric diagnostic examinations, consultations, and psychotherapy. The use of asynchronous transmission of health care records to support telehealth is being piloted for patients located in remote regions of Alaska and Hawaii.

• Online Health Records, Prescriptions, and Medication Monitoring: The Geisinger Health System provides patients with online access to their medical records, lab results, prescriptions, and renewals. The hospital’s electronic system also provides on-line communications with health care providers and an online health and fitness library.

• Home Monitoring: Several pilots are underway in Maryland to test the feasibility of in home monitoring of chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure. Patients use simple devices to check their weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. The results are automatically fed into a computer and sent to a remote monitoring site. If the readings fall outside predetermined limits, patients and doctors are notified.

Next Post: Finale

References

Demaerschalk, B. et al. (2009). Stroke Telemedicine.

Gormley, R. Kovarik, C. Use of Mobile Telemedicine for Cervical Cancer Screening in Gaborone, Botswana.

Geisinger. (2010) My Features.

Medical News Today. (2009). Telemedicine for Stroke.

Medicare. (2010). Learning Network Telehealth Services Fact Sheet.

Olson, E. (2009). The Virtual Doctor Visit. The Washington Post.

Reuters. (2010). Remote Robotic Surgery Successful in First Human Heart Surgery.

Thai Medical News.com. (2007). Robotic Surgery is the Future of Health Care.