Outcomes of a military regional multispecialty synchronous telehealth platform and the importance of the dedicated patient presenter.

Implementing a successful multispecialty synchronous telehealth program requires identifying and overcoming numerous barriers. One key aspect of synchronous telehealth involves the telehealth presenter; however, the impact that a dedicated patient presenter has supporting routine multispecialty synchronous telehealth is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of telehealth encounters conducted from a single regional medical center over a two-year period to 12 outlying health clinics which provided one of 3 levels of patient presenter support: category 1 locations had a dedicated telehealth registered nurse, category 2 locations had a nondedicated registered nurse or licensed vocational nurse, and category 3 locations were supported by an Army medic (military occupational specialty 68W). RESULTS: A total of 4,032 telehealth encounters occurred from January 2014 to December 2015 involving 26 distinct specialties located within a single regional medical center and 12 outlying health clinics which supported 60,232 beneficiaries. The 3 category 1 locations (3/12, 25%) supported the most telehealth encounters per month compared to either category 2 or category 3 locations (P<.0001). Category 1 and category 2 locations averaged a 239% and 122% year-to-year growth, respectively. Category 3 locations averaged a year-to-year decline of 11.7%. COMMENT: This is the first study of which we are aware that has compared different patient presenter levels and evaluated its effect on telehealth activity. Regional medical centers initiating a multispecialty synchronous telehealth program should strongly consider hiring, educating, and placing dedicated presenters at patient originating sites.

Clinical assessment and management of general surgery patients via synchronous telehealth.

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.