title: Use of telemedicine and telephone consultation in decision-making and follow-up of burn patients: Initial experience from two burn units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the use of telemedicine in decision-making and follow-up of burn patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Konya Burn Unit was established in July 2003, and up to December 2009, 187 patients were admitted to this unit, all of them were consulted-via audiovisual transmission of data (telemedicine)-to the same burn surgeon at the Ankara Burn Referral Center of our hospital network. Three basic systems are currently used: live interactive video, store-and-forward images, and telephone. The demographic data and burn criteria of the patients were investigated. Changes in the number of televisits and patient management were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 66-month timeframe, 525 televisits were performed on 187 patients. There were 126 males (67.4%) and 61 females (32.6%). The mean total burn surface area (percentage of total burn surface area burned) was 23.3 ± 17.8% (range, 3-95%). Nine of the 187 patients (4.8%) died owing to multiorgan failure and sepsis. As a result of these televisits, 21 patients (11.2%) were transferred to our referral center. The number of dead and transferred patients decreased during the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telemedicine is appropriate and cost-effective for treatment and follow-up of patients in burn units with personnel with limited experience.
authors.affiliation: Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery and Burn and Fire Disasters Institute, Ankara, Turkey. erenka2000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karagulle
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aydogan
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oguz
authors.forename: Akin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarim
authors.forename: Hamdi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karakayali
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haberal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002053:Burn Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D013689:Telephone; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult