Pediatric Tele-Health and Tele-Education

from Practice Update, Winter 2006

Community providers and hospital staff have the opportunity to learn from the best in pediatric tele-health and tele-education at The Children’s Hospital. More than 300 educational and consultative programs are coordinated at Children’s each year and provide connections throughout the world.

Physicians from Argentina have consulted with cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons from Children’s to review complicated cases and to exchange ideas related to the care of their patients. Closer to home, remote patient consults have been arranged with Indian reservations and rural hospitals throughout the Rocky Mountain region, and weekly educational lectures are broadcast to many of those same hospitals. Providers from across the nation have also accessed education from Children’s, including one broadcast to all fifty states which addressed the care of cystic fibrosis patients.

A key component of the hospital’s technological offerings is the medical technology conference room. The room is equipped with:

• Two bio-medical workstations that connect directly to servers with patient data
• Two standard PCs that connect to the hospital network
• A videoconferencing unit
• DVD player
• VHS player
• Three ceiling-mounted projectors
• Three screens – table and wireless microphones

This equipment allows physicians to access laboratory reports, picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and electronic medical records. Medical staff can pull medical records, display the information on multiple screens for comparison, and transmit the information to physicians in remote locations for discussion and education.

This state-of-the-art conference room is also connected to five operating rooms at Children’s. Connecting by video and audio feeds allows residents and fellows to observe and learn during a surgery without crowding the operating room.

The state of Colorado, as well as national organizations, utilizes the technology at Children’s because of our advanced capabilities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asked Children’s to be on stand-by in the week following Hurricane Katrina. Gulf Coast area emergency responders could instantly communicate with the staff of pediatric emergency medicine and infectious disease physicians during the devastating event and its aftermath. Physician expertise, coupled with advanced technology, means that although disaster may strike mile from Colorado, talent at The Children’s Hospital can be accessed at any time.

State-of-the-art technology also enhances patient care and education. Physicians and case managers at The Children’s Hospital are able to consult with patients by video before scheduled surgeries. The medical staff is able to address the many questions and concerns that arise before a child’s hospitalization and explain exactly what will happen during their procedure and hospital stay. Feedback from families has demonstrated that the process greatly alleviates anxiety during a stressful time. Staff of the cystic fibrosis clinic coordinates an annual, multi-city family education night. The event addresses new treatment options for cystic fibrosis, allows families to interact with others in their situation, and empowers patients by providing a forum where they can provide feedback about their condition and care.