Telemedicine to Reservations..

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Hi all..

This is an interesting story about telemedicine and Native American reservations.

Through the video transmission in real time, physicians are able to hear heartbeats through a special stethoscope which transmits through the tele-connection and see the ear drum with a camera in the scope. Pictures can be taken and sent to the physician of lesions, etc. It seems to be a useful techonlogy for those who need specialists or have difficulties leaving the reservation.

Even though the physicians are miles and miles away they are able to provide diagnoses/treatments for ailments that otherwise may take much more time to figure out/treat.. The problem seems to be, as usual, lack of money to really implement this across the country and little 'financial incentive' for physicians to work with this who are not already working with IHS..

Have any of you seen/heard of this actually being done? This piece was from a Navajo reservation in NE Arizona..

A link from NPR regarding this: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1472515

Thank you..

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

We use telemedicine in the majority of our rural areas in my state. It is something being utilized nation-wide.

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