What
is Telemedicine?
The service
links specialists at St. Alexius with health care providers and
their patients in rural communities using two-way "live"
television. Specialists can conduct face-to-face consultations
using the interactive video network to examine, diagnose and plan
care. This can eliminate the need for the patient to travel to
Bismarck for a consultation. This service offers routine and emergency
medical and mental health consultaions, 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.
What
are the Benefits?
- Keeps patients
in their own communities for health care
- Provides
specialty care services to rural areas
- Improves
patient and family involvement in their own care
- Strengthens
the rural economy by keeping the flow of financial resources
in the local communities
- Continuity
of patien care is enhanced when the patient, primary care physician,
specialist, and family are involved during the consultation.
Telemedicine
services include:
- Dermatology
- Neurology
- Surgery
- Emergency
Medicine
- Pediatrics
|
- Plastic
Surgery
- Ear,
Nose and Throat
- Cardiothoracic
Surgery
- Obstetrics/Gynecology
- Psychiatry
and Mental Health Services
|
- Orthopedics
- Neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Wound
Care Management
- And
many more
|
Telemedicine
and Great Plains Clinic
In 2002 the
top 5 areas of clinical utilization throughout the whole telecommunications
network were: speech therapy, psychiatry, nephrology, cardiac
surgery, and burn care.
In 2002 Great
Plains Clinic had 12 consults:
6 - Nephrology
4 - Cardiology
1 - Psychology
1 - Plural effusion, fluid build-up
In 2003, January
- February, we have already had 7 consults:
3 - Burn
Care
2 - Psychology
1 - Cardiology
1 - Post Plastic Surgery, decuibular repair
New
items in Telemedicine
- We are
going through a process of upgrading equipment. We hope to get
rid of the older equipment and replace it with more portable
systems.
- We are
working with Medcenter One and the ND State Health Department
to develop programs that would link networks in case we would
need an emergency public health response to bio-terrism or other
public health emergencies.
Benefits
of Rural Telemedicine Programs
- Keep patients
in their own communities for health care when feasible.
- Provide
specialty care services to rural areas.
- More efficient
use of medical resources which may lessen amount of travel time
for specialists and patients.
- The on-site
primary care provider receives quick, efficiently guided consults.
- Primary
care providers frin that treatment of subseuent patients with
similar presenting symptoms can be handled with more efficiency
and less need for specialist input.
- Improve
patient and family involvement in their own care.
- Reduced
physician isolation in rural areas.
- Increased
financial viability of rural medical facilities.
- Strengthen
the rural economy by keeping the flow of financial resources
in the local communities.
- Continuity
of patient care is enhanced when the patient, primary care physician,
specialist, and family are all involved during the consultation.
If patient requires transfer to a tertiary facility, they have
already met the physician who will be caring for them, thus
offering reassurance to the patient.
- Strengthen
the relationships between rural facilities and St. Alexius Medical
Center, which may also increase the referral base for St. Alexius
and associated physicians.
