Telemedicine

By Hormozd Borzorgchami, M.D. Just a few days after a stroke left Emil Evans paralyzed from the tip of his right toe to the tip of his right finger, he was back raking leaves in the yard of his McMinnville home. The OHSU Telemedicine Network played a vital role in his remarkable rebound by bringing the best stroke treatment expertise to his bedside minutes after he arrived at Willamette Valley Medical Center. Evans was struck … Read More

By Wayne Clark, M.D. Earlier this month, the OHSU Telemedicine Network treated two stroke cases that demonstrate how tele-stroke technology can assist in the development of new therapies and expand clinical research. Case No. 1 A 51-year-old previously healthy businessman was brought to the Salem Hospital emergency room with stroke symptoms. Salem Hospital’s Peter Killefer, M.D., called OHSU and requested a tele-stroke consultation. Minutes later, OHSU stroke neurologist. Hormozd Borzorgchami, M.D., was examining the patient … Read More

By Jean McCormick, R.N., M.S.N. Open dialogue is vital to building and maintaining successful health care collaborations. Having a “brown bag” session is a dynamic approach to educate, communicate and maintain that collaboration. It is also an important way to establish and maintain relationships between OHSU and transitional care facilities in addition to working toward a larger goal – reducing patient readmissions. Since December 2012, the OHSU Telemedicine Network has offered a series of educational … Read More

By Wayne Clark, M.D. Most everyone knows how important it is to seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing stroke symptoms. Clot buster medications (TPA) are most effective when given within three hours of a stroke and newer clot removing devices (stent retrievers) are approved for use up to eight hours after known stroke onset. However, patients and families cannot always get to the emergency room in time. Examples include if the stroke occurs … Read More

By Miles Ellenby, M.D. In a matter of a few years, telemedicine has made it possible for OHSU stroke neurologists, pediatric and neonatal intensive care physicians, genetics specialists, psychiatrists and other medical experts to treat patients almost anywhere in the state without leaving Portland. Indeed, the OHSU Telemedicine Network has expanded its offerings to the point that patients in a dozen communities have access to our services minutes after they arrive in their local emergency … Read More

Written by Wayne Clark, M.D. Last October, a 74-year-old woman was brought to the Mercy Medical Center emergency department in Roseburg with stroke symptoms. Mercy Medical’s Brent Crabtree, M.D., called OHSU and requested a telemedicine consultation. Minutes later, an OHSU stroke neurologist was examining the patient using a two-way audio-video robot that had been wheeled to her bedside. The exam showed the patient had suffered a stroke. Working with Crabtree, OHSU’s Hormozd Borzorgchami, M.D., prescribed … Read More

Written by Jean McCormick, R.N., M.S.N. Innovation is key to improving patient care while reducing costs and enhancing the health of Oregonians. Telemedicine is an effective tool for meeting these goals particularly when transferring a patient from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility. Discharging a patient to a skilled nursing facility is all about coordination and timing: Interventions. Care plans. Paperwork. Prescriptions. Nursing notes help paint the picture of a patient when “handing off” … Read More

Written by Miles Ellenby, M.D. Five years ago, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene started a quiet revolution in the treatment of critically ill pediatric patients in Oregon. We launched a two-way audio/video connection that virtually puts Portland-based pediatric intensivists at the bedside of young patients in Eugene. OHSU specialists can help Eugene pediatricians diagnose patients and initiate treatment minutes after the patient arrives in the emergency room. Telemedicine also … Read More