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| Dr. John McGinty, in Richmond, conducts a telehealth appointment with Stephen Daggett at Randolph Medical Center in Winchester. |
“It was a big timesaver,” Daggett said of his recent appointment at Reid’s Randolph Medical Center, which is near his home in the community about 25 miles from Richmond. Daggett said his session with Dr. John McGinty with Richmond Cardiology Associates was much less taxing because of the convenience of not having to travel, especially since he has not been released to drive since his surgery.
“It saved me a lot of time. Normally my son would have to drive me to Richmond,” he said. “Dr. McGinty might as well have been in the room,” Daggett said of the experience. “Anything that needed to be done, the nurse took care of it. I was able to ask him questions just like he was in the room.”
Dr. McGinty said he thinks telehealth is the beginning of something huge for health care in the region. “I think it is wonderful technology that we can bring to our patients in the surrounding areas to be able to have office visits with them, saving them the drive time, yet we are still able to provide a full office evaluation through telemedicine.” He said the technology is a “very efficient way” to deliver health care by saving time for patients and physicians who otherwise could spend time travelling to satellite locations to provide care.
Daggett said a trip to his family doctor and his question about a pain he’d been having in his armpit led to a stress test and the discovery of his heart problem before he suffered a heart attack. He had been digging ditches only a few days before, and said he feels fortunate to have had his problem discovered in time to have a life-saving procedure.
“They gave me several years I would not have had otherwise,” he said, referring to his bypass surgery at Reid Heart & Vascular Center.
Daggett’s follow-up after his heart surgery was the first appointment conducted with Reid’s new telehealth service, which launched in the region in May. The live, interactive video consult service connects patients in rural areas with physicians who specialize in cardiology, orthopedics, pulmonary care and infectious diseases.
This project is designed to make specialty care more accessible for people in East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio. “Telehealth is a way to deliver medical care using digital technologies to connect the physician and patient who are in separate locations,” says Melinda Schriver, director of telehealth services at Reid. “Live, interactive video consults are just one form of telehealth, which can include everything from remote medical monitoring equipment to smart phone apps.”
The video consult service, which began in May, is funded by Reid Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Five Reid primary care offices are participating, including:
- Eaton Family Care Center, Eaton, Ohio
- Hagerstown Family Practice, Hagerstown, Ind.
- Randolph Medical Center, Winchester, Ind.
- Union County Medical Center, Liberty, Ind.
- Whitewater Valley Primary Care, Connersville, Ind.
Both primary and specialty care physicians can request a telehealth visit for their patients. At the time of the appointment, the patient goes to a dedicated exam room at the primary care office and is “checked in” by a telehealth licensed practical nurse. The specialist — who is located in a dedicated room in his or her own practice—connects via video and conducts the visit, with the nurse’s assistance.
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“This is a convenient option for patients in outlying areas, who otherwise would have to drive to Richmond for specialty care,” Schriver says. “Seeing a specialist close to home can mean less time off work, lower transportation costs and less time away from responsibilities at home. And it allows specialists to spend more time on direct patient care, rather than in the car driving to satellite locations.”In the next few months, the telehealth video consult service will expand to include endocrinology, diabetes education and psychiatry.
“I was able to ask (Dr. McGinty) questions, just like he was in the room” - Stephen Daggett of Winchester