Dear reader/listener,
Don't touch that dial!! This is a serious posting.And TV or
Teleconferencing or Telemedicine
may be part of the answer but first we have to know how we wish to define
the problem. Before we get to that I want to tell you how impressed I was
with the quality of responses to the idea of a partnership with our HCPs
and especially how much I was impressed with the words spoken by Rita
Weeks. they were, to me, powerful, most notable the verse of 12/4.
And now to more carefully define our problem.
Does it have to do with the total absence of qualifed HCPs in a
certain geographical area?
Does it have to do with the total absence of certain
specialities such as in neurology or "movement
disorder" or physical therapy etc?
OR does it have to do with the competence of a particular
Individual HCP who may be the only "game in town" The big question here is
who is calling the HCP noncompetent.If it is some state or professional
organization/agency that may have at least a little clout then we may be
able to access certain services.
THe general idea is that a patient may be evaluated by a specialist
many miles away by using teleconferencing/telemedicine technology. What it
would take is :
The patient
The equipment and some one to run it [although
there are certain functions a
patient may control themselves]
The MD or technical person to run the show at the
patient location.
The specialist at the other end.[Please no
Proctologist's jokes]
I've begun a review of the literature and found, as I scratched the
surface, some encouraging news.For example, in Washigton state a
telecommunication link has been established between Yakima Valley
Radiologists and Prosser Memorial Hospital which allows Yakima V.R.
radiologist's to interpret tests and direct exams done at Prosser M.H. from
their Yakima office 55 miles down the road.
In Pennsylvania a telemedicine system using video- and
audio-conferencing allows cardiologists, radiologists and NEUROSURGEONS
{Caps mine] to conduct a remote evaluation of patients who are at rural
hospitals many miles away.Hospitals participating include Hershey M.C.,
Temple Univ. Hosp.in Phil. and the Univ. of Pittsburg M.C.
A third and final example involves the Medical College of Georgia is
{1994] installing an interactive two way television hook -up that will
enable physicians to examine patients in their homes and in nursing
homes.The Medical College will be part of a network that will link 58
medical facilities around the state [including Emory Univ Hosp.]
Interesting?? I can think of many questions we may have including
physician choice and who pays what to whom? But as a first cut what do you
think??
My very best,
george [[log in to unmask]]
NTGAE
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