How are providers applying mobile health?
In 80% of Georgia's county health departments (ie. Clarke County Main Health Department), nurses and doctors are using video communication with the staff at the Georgia Department of Public Health. These web links are used to coordinate emergency response, train local providers, and manage epidemics.
Along with this, Georgia's Public Health Department is providing 14 telemedicine carts (computers with webcams and diagnostic equipment where physicians examine patients remotely with the help of an onsite nurse). These carts can be used in schools, prisons, nursing homes, and private offices to provide care to more people. Last year, 70,000 people were seen using a telemedicine cart. This potentially increases access to specialty care for patients located in remote areas...a possible future policy for MUAs and CHCs??
Along with this, Georgia's Public Health Department is providing 14 telemedicine carts (computers with webcams and diagnostic equipment where physicians examine patients remotely with the help of an onsite nurse). These carts can be used in schools, prisons, nursing homes, and private offices to provide care to more people. Last year, 70,000 people were seen using a telemedicine cart. This potentially increases access to specialty care for patients located in remote areas...a possible future policy for MUAs and CHCs??
^ Nurses and physicians using a telemedicine cart to examine a patient.
How are universities, professors, and students involved?
In 2005, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University partnered to create the Health Systems Institute to research and develop new technologies that transform health care delivery. The program offers Masters and PhD tracks for students who are interested in studying such fields. HIS's research goals include managing chronic diseases, creating patient-centered technologies, robotics/medicine, and telehealth. In 2010, HIS developed a robot named Cody that can give patients bed baths:
What about patients in Athens?
Athens Regional Medical Center (ARMC) provides a Mobile Mammography Unit, a bus that provides the staff and equipment needed to screen for breast cancer in the community. ARMC bought the bus using employee donations, and use of the bus is free. However, patients (or community sponsors such as churches) have to pay for the mammograms themselves. These services can cost up to $250 a person for those who are uninsured...Telemedicine and mobile health is a budding field, and questions remain. What are the ethics of using such technologies, especially when it comes to using them for the underserved? By replacing a human's touch with a robot's cold arm to increase access to care, are we really fighting for a preferential option for the poor? Also, even though people are developing these technologies, how can we ensure access to those who cannot afford such services? How can the government or hospitals regulate mobile apps to make sure that they pass a benchmark quality test to be used effectively?
Stay tuned for an interview (hopefully) with the Athens Neighborhood Health Center where I will ask them more about mobile technologies...
Sources:
(1) ARMC Mobile Mammography Unit: http://www.athenshealth.org/MobileMammographyUnit
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