From Deseret News archives:
Telemedicine helps veterans avoid trips to Salt Lake City
Palmer is one of hundreds of veterans in Elko, Nev., who can receive routine primary care from the Salt Lake VA health-care system via teleconferencing. The sophisticated telemedicine system includes the ability to tie specialized instruments like a stethoscope into its interactive equipment so that what's picked up by the device laid against Palmer's chest will be transmitted into the earpiece of the health-care provider in Salt Lake City.
And that's just the beginning. In the course of a mock exam Thursday, staged so the VA could film a training video, registered nurse Jill Connelly put an otoscope in Palmer's ear and the image was broadcast clearly on a computer screen in front of Martin so she could look for signs of infection.
The VA has clinics in various communities, but although there are enough veterans in the Elko area to support one, not all of them use the benefits. Instead, many make the long drive to either Salt Lake City or Reno for urgent needs. Or simply do without, she said.
The program has expanded quickly because there's a great need and telemedicine is convenient. About 300 people go to the clinic instead of Reno or Salt Lake City for non-emergency care.
A few days before a teleconsult, any lab tests that are needed are done so that Martin will have the results on her computer during the appointment. If she decides the patient needs a prescription, it's entered via computer into the pharmacy system and mailed.
The training video will be used to help recruit other nurse practitioners and health-care providers to telemedicine.
"We're in a horrible health-care crisis, especially primary care. Nurse practitioners are filling that gap more than anyone, and we're focusing on getting nurse practitioners into it. They are more likely to adopt technology," Martin said.
Telemedicine is good for managing medication, following up on diagnostic tests and labs and for routine treatment. It's not for anything invasive or for emergencies.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com
Comments
- Seabrook's OT goal lifts Blackhawks 9:55 p.m.
- Birthdays for Monday, Nov. 16 9:50 p.m.
- Attorney to write book about sniper 9:49 p.m.
- Police seek clues in Crawford case 9:48 p.m.
- Blushing Boss at a loss 9:48 p.m.
- Immigrant tuition bill gets push 9:42 p.m.
- U.S. help has strings attached 9:42 p.m.
- Photo: Fort Hood victim mourned 9:41 p.m.
- Unhappy holidays for charities? 9:41 p.m.
- Teenage boy shot in the leg 9:32 p.m.
- BYU happy to escape with victory
228 - TCU creams U.
222 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
206 - Will state consider gay rights law?
149 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
133 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - RSL heads to MLS title game
124 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
90
Sears is holding a special VIP night Sunday, Nov. 15, in stores and online.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
CNN is hardly raw news free of analysis and without bias.
Playing lousy is never good. If it were, BYU would have been a monster after...
TCU's footballers aren't any better than BYU's or Utah's, but they are better...
Hey all of you 2A teams and fans. Is San Juan so predictable? Im not sure....
BYU has been up and down under the watch of Bronco. IF I hear them say "its...
Thank you Jerry Sloan for 20 years of coaching the Jazz. But it is time to...
2004 was our year. 2008 was our year. 2009 looks to be TCU's year. I say...
True, football does make the most money and it has traditionally drawn the...
You summed it up perfectly -- also my reasons for voting ABB next year --...
Why add Sand Diego or UNLV? If you are adding programs becase they have been...

You can be the first to comment on this story.