Clinical telemedicine services offered by the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth connect patients and health practitioners throughout the state of Kansas. Many hospitals and clinics around the state are equipped with video conferencing systems that allow them to collaborate with KUCTT to provide clinical consults. Physicians and patients can consult with other physicians or health care professionals who specialize in an area of need.
In addition to video conferencing equipment, some sites are equipped with medical equipment to enhance the specialist’s ability to examine a patient without being physically present.
The equipment can include:
The telemedicine program in Kansas has provided more than 30 medical specialties to patients throughout the state. Some of the specialties include:
You can see an actual telemedicine consultation in the video embedded below, and hear the patient's own assessment of this method of care delivery. In this case, the patient is seen in a follow-up visit in a location convenient to her.
It is also possible to record a test or a scan and transmit that recording to the provider, thus extending the clinical expertise of a teaching medical center to any outlying community. In the following example, a pediatric echocardiogram performed at one location is viewed by a provider at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Through a variety of funding mechanisms, KUCTT has several clinical, educational, and research projects that support health care in Kansas. Whether in urban, rural, or frontier regions, these programs provide health care across the lifespan to underserved Kansas residents.
In addition to clinical consultations, KUCTT is investigating the use of technology in the home to assist chronically ill older Kansans who desire to live at home. This technology helps these individuals manage health issues that otherwise might require admission to a hospital or nursing facility. Partnering with local home care providers, KUCTT has been able to demonstrate that daily monitoring of health indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, weight and blood glucose can enable people to better manage their illnesses and reduce costs related to Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations.
Home telehealth does not merely measure vital signs and other statistics. It provides health care professionals with additional opportunities to educate patients regarding health and wellness techniques specific to their individual condition and needs. Many of the home monitoring systems in use today not only utilize advancements in miniaturization and wireless technology, but also have two-way video and audio capabilities that can be programmed to transmit an appropriate message in response to specific health measurements or events.
TeleKidcare® uses telemedicine technology to provide school children with timely health care in the comfort and convenience of their school nurse's office, essentially "bringing the doctor to the school". more>>
Connected Kansas Kids is a project that was developed in collaboration with Kathy Davis, PhD, a hospital school teacher with more than 20 years of experience meeting the needs of children with chronic illnesses. more>>
Telemedicine consultations require both sites to create innovative ways to perform administrative and clinical functions at a distance. KUCTT posts online a collection of forms needed by our partners when they participate in telemedicine consultations. The link above connects to a repository that will help in selecting and obtaining the correct forms for the requested consultation.
If you are interested in learning more about telemedicine or in becoming a telemedicine partner, please contact:
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The University of Kansas Medical Center