title: Using robotic telecommunications to triage pediatric disaster victims.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During a disaster, hospitals may be overwhelmed and have an insufficient number of pediatric specialists available to care for injured children. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of remotely providing pediatric expertise via a robot to treat pediatric victims.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2008, Los Angeles County held 2 drills involving telemedicine. The first was the Tri-Hospital drill in which 3 Los Angeles County hospitals, one being a pediatric hospital, participated. The disaster scenario involved a Metrolink train crash, resulting in a large surge of traumatic injuries. The second drill involved multiple agencies and was called the Great California Shakeout, a simulated earthquake exercise. The telemedicine equipment installed is an InTouch Health, Inc, Santa Barbara, CA robotic telecommunications system. We used mixed-methods to evaluate the use of telemedicine during these drills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pediatric specialists successfully provided remote triage and treatment consults of victims via the robot. The robot proved to be a useful means to extend resources and provide expert consult if pediatric specialists were unable to physically be at the site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telemedicine can be used in the delayed treatment areas as well as for training first receivers to collaborate with specialists in remote locations to triage and treat seriously injured pediatric victims.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: Rita V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Bridget M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vee
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nager
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neches
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Upperman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004190:Disasters; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D012371:Robotics; D017216:Telemedicine; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*