title: Clinical assessment and management of general surgery patients via synchronous telehealth.
abstract: Objective This paper describes how a clinical team at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) successfully integrated synchronous telehealth (TH) into their routine clinical practice. Methods and materials Synchronous TH encounters were performed using Polycom® software on surgeons' computers with high-definition (HD) cameras on monitors at distant sites and PolyCom HDX9000® Telehealth Practitioner Carts at originating sites. Patients provided consented and were presented to general surgeons by nurses and medical technicians at Army health clinics throughout the European Theater. Results In calendar year (CY) 2014, five general surgeons and two surgical physician assistants (PAs) at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center along with registered nurses (RNs) at six originating clinic sites throughout Europe completed 130 synchronous TH encounters for 101 general surgery patients resulting in 73 completed and 16 recommended surgeries. Eighty-eight percent of patients had a completed or recommended surgery. No surgeries or procedures planned after initial TH evaluation were cancelled. Originating site clinics ranged in distance from 68 miles to 517 miles. Acceptance by providers, patients and clinic staff was high. Conclusion Synchronous TH was effective and safe in evaluating common general surgical conditions. We excluded sensitive and complex conditions requiring a nuanced physical examination. The TH efforts of the general surgery staff have resulted in high-quality, seamless and predictable TH activities that continue to expand into other surgical and medical specialties beyond general surgery. Seven surgeons and two PAs use synchronous TH regularly serving patients over a broad geographic area.
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Travis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuhrman
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bojicic
authors.affiliation: United States Army Regional Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017046:Cost Savings; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: General surgery; surgery telemedicine; synchronous telehealth surgery