Telemedicine is the exchange of medical information from one area to another through electronic communication in or to improve a patient’s health status. The benefits of this medical technology are far-reaching. It has developed fast and become more popular among medical professionals. The trending factors with this technology are the reduction of healthcare costs, a decrease in the supply of physicians, reimbursement issues, etc. Below, we’ve outlined a few stories about telemedicine saving patient’s lives.
1. Linked a hospital for expert advice
An eight-year-old boy named Ryan came down with a case of influenza. After experiencing a fever and intense coughs for over a week, the boy was admitted into Bay Area Hospital. The doctors who saw Ryan found that pneumonia had been starving his bloodstream of oxygen. Despite antibiotic and oxygen mask treatments, his condition continued to get worse. Dr. John Yost, his pediatrician, thought that the boy would need specialized medical treatment at Oregon Health and Science University. The trip to the hospital would have been a financial blow to the boy’s family, who would have spent much of their savings paying for hotel bills, meals, and an ambulance plane ride to Portland. Fortunately, telemedicine technology enabled a specialist at OHSU to speak with Ryan, his family, and the doctors at his hospital. Through electronic communication, they confirmed that the boy’s doctors were taking the right steps and offered a number of suggestions to treat him more effectively.
2. Saved a baby’s life
In the month of June 2011, a seven-month-old baby named Malea Fox woke up with a fever of 102.4 degrees. Her mom Ashley, unable to get in contact with a pediatrician, took the child to a hospital in Seaside. After some tests and blood work, it was found that the child had a virus. Ashley was given some medicine to administer to her daughter and took her back home. After four hours of napping, Ashley found that she could not wake her child up.
The mother decided to take her daughter to Columbia Memorial Hospital. A physician at the hospital asked for a telemedicine consultation with Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. Dr. Jennifer Needle, the hospital’s pediatric doctor, examined Malea through a two-way communication system. The doctor was able to diagnosed her with meningococcemia, a life-threatening bacterial infection. She found that a breathing tube would be necessary to keep the girl alive while transferring her to Portland on a helicopter.
3. Helped save a newborn baby
Dr. Katie Townes of a children’s hospital helped resuscitate a newborn baby with the help of telemedicine. Born a month early, the child faced a high chance of birth defect. Bethany Stadeli, the child’s mother, begged for the doctor to remove the child via caesarean. She didn’t know what would happen to her baby after the surgery. After delivery, the baby could not breathe and was blue in color. Dr. James Domst, the doctor on duty, called a neonatologist specialist at OHSU. The specialist was able to instantly communicate with Dornst using telecommunication machines. She could provide her with input and observe the treatment while the doctors and nurses helped in resuscitating the child.
4. Played a role in stroke survival
Carol and Clarence Renno were watching TV at their home in Wishram. After dinner, Clarence went to the kitchen and came back. Carol thought he had said something. She asked him what he has said, but he did not answer. Carol got angry and spoke louder as her husband felt his head wobbling from side to side. Clarence was having a stroke. Carol picked up the phone and called 911, but Clarence’s condition continued to worsen. When first responders arrived, they took him to Columbia Medical Center where a CT scan was performed. A stroke team from OHSU was contacted through the robotic telecommunication. Through this telecommunication, the doctor and the stroke team from Portland were able to look at Clarence, talk to him, and examine him.
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