Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a revolutionary delivery system for medical services that connects specialists at Carle with healthcare providers and their patients in rural communities. Using the latest telecommunication technology Telemedicine brings medical consultations, follow-up care and educational services directly to rural physicians and hospitals.
How Telemedicine Works
Telemedicine uses special high-speed phone lines and the most advanced computer and visual communications equipment to instantly connect specialists with patients in rural communities across east central Illinois. Computers and cameras installed at Carle and participating hospitals and clinics enable doctors to examine patients and discuss treatments. Two-way "live" verbal and visual communication allows a patient to ask and answer questions, and explain symptoms to a physician.
Who Benefits From Telemedicine?
You do. And so do all residents of rural areas because telemedicine makes intelligent use of medical resources for rural hospitals, emergency rooms, and family practice physicians who refer patients to specialists. As a patient, telemedicine will save you the time and hassle of traveling for medical consultations. Additionally, it enhances your care by allowing your primary care physician, and even your family to be present with you during a consultation.
Home Telemedicine
Home Telemedicine is a way of providing care, monitoring, and education to patients in their homes through the use of live, interactive telecommunications.
TeleHomecare is an exciting new field of medicine that allows healthcare professionals to monitor patients, who remain in the comfort of their how homes. During the "videovisit" with Carle Home Care, the patient and the registered nurse can both see and hear each other using technology that functions over an ordinary telephone line. In addition to the audiovisual component, the RN may:
- Monitor blood pressure and pulse
- Monitor medication compliance
- Observe wound healing process
- Listen to heart and lung sounds
- Obtain other information such as blood glucose, and temperature.
TeleHomecare is a convenient means for patients to have instant access to their care providers for monitoring, assessment and educational purposes.
TeleHomecare has gained increasing interest from homecare administrators in the past few years. 1998 statistics cited close to 100 home care agencies currently doing some type of in-home telecare across the country. Studies have shown that providing ongoing interactive consultations with patients in the home does significantly reduce the number of times the patient is taken to the ER or is admitted to the hospital.