Telemedicine Helps Cardiologists Extend Their Reach.

Abstract

During a recent set of telemedicine consultations, Joaquin E. Cigarroa, MD, a cardiologist at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, was able to establish relationships with 4 new patients and their families, conduct a physical examination using an electronic stethoscope, review the patients’ laboratory results, and develop a care plan. The best part was that the patients, who all live in coastal Lincoln City, Oregon, were able to skip the 3-hour drive to Portland through traffic and often fog. Figure 1. A mock telecardiology consult. Increasingly, cardiologists across the country are leveraging technology to provide remote care, whether through virtual visits and exams, consultations, or continuous monitoring using a growing array of implantable or wearable devices. “Patients love it,” said Cigarroa. They only need to make the trek to Portland when they need advanced diagnostics or procedures. For Cigarroa and his colleagues at Oregon Health & Science University, providing such off-site care is “critical to providing patient-centered care,” he said. He explained that ≈60% of the patients admitted to the cardiovascular service line at Oregon Health & Science University’s hospital are from outside of the Portland metro area, and many are from rural regions of the state. He and his colleagues have increasingly made use of Oregon Health & Science University’s telemedicine portals, which can even be used to perform echocardiograms, to care for patients closer to their homes. “It’s compassionate to the patient and their family to maintain them in their community and only transfer them if they need procedural or …