Telehealth Digital Stethoscope

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Telehealth Digital Stethoscope Project June 1
2007
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EASE and Telehealth

• The EASE clinic is a rapid access clinic for new
  outpatient cardiac consultations with a single
  contact point and rapid triage.

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EASE and Telehealth

• Current Cardiac EASE Telehealth program limits
  physical exam
• Restricts use of telehealth to follow-up visits
  when physical exam is not required
• Review of history/symptoms
• Vital Signs
• Prearranged lab work

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Current Use of Telehealth in EASE

• Follow-up
• Review of test results
• Assess response to treatment
• Education
• Risk reduction
• CHF
• Drug therapy

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Current Use of Telehealth in EASE

• New patient consultations when physical exam is
  not critical
• Review history, test results, medications
• Discuss invasive procedures

Electrophysiologists
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Digital Stethoscope Equipment

• 1. Digital stethoscope allows physical exam
  remotely
• 2. Camera allows close visual assessment of
  specific areas and of documents

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• Patient at his local telehealth site with support
  staff (RN) and stethoscope transmitter
• EASE staff at the U of A hospital telehealth site
  
• interviews patient
• exams patient with assistance of trained RN at
  the local site

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• Initially, it is planned that a follow-up visit
  at the U of A hospital site will be used to
  validate the accuracy of the remote stethoscope
  examination

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Goals

• Rapid clinical assessment via telehealth
  technology with more detailed exam
• Increased diagnostic certainty
• Improve patients access to specialized
  Cardiology services in their own region including
  the initial assessment

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Goals

• Appropriate triage
• Shorter wait times (currently 3-5 months for
  traditional referral pattern)
• Reduced travel times
• Build remote/rural capacity
• Improve patient satisfaction

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Process

• Target new patient referrals to the EASE program
  from partnered health regions
• Equipment including AMD-3200 Simulscope
• Funds to support our partnering regions
• Funds to support purchase, training and use of
  the equipment

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Process

• Recruit 150-200 patients from new referrals to
  the EASE clinic who reside in the partnered
  health regions
• Remote history and physical exam
• Validate equipment with a follow-up visit on-site
  and appropriate diagnostic tests, comparing
  accuracy of remote assessment with local
  assessment

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Current Status

• One partnered region is ready and first few
  patients will be examined next week
• 2 more regions in process

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