Huron Expositor, 2009-04-01, Page 2•
The Huron Expositor • April 1, 2009
News
Technology will allow long-distance consultations from home
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From Page 1
big bonus to access services that are
only available in London," he says.
He adds that patients needing to
see a dermatologist or the sub -spe-
cialists of internal medicine like car-
diologists or respirologists usually
have to travel to London or Kitch-
ener as well.
The new technology includes clini-
cal cameras that provide a magnified
view of skin, making it well suited
for a dermatology consultation.
Major-McEwan says she doesn't
know of a discipline that couldn't be
accessed with the technology.
Using the technology will prevent
the need for patients to find trans-.
portation to
cities or travel
through severe
winter weather,
she says.
"Even the
specialists won't
have to use the
road time to
travel and can
consult out of
their own offic-
es," she says.
Major-McE-
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Confused about Healthcare
in Seaforth and area?
INFORMATION MEETING
Huron East/Seaforth Community Development
Trust and Healthcare Partners Committee
invite you to an INFORMATION MEETING
about Health Care and the organizations
in Seaforth and area.
April 14th, 2009 7:00 p.m.
Seaforth District Community Centre
wan stresses that the system is se-
cure and private.
"For the most part, people are
comfortable with it but patients will
want to know where it's going and
that we're not broadcasting it to any-
one," she says.
The portable telemedicine unit can
be plugged into five rooms .at the Hu-
ron East Health Centre and Major
McEwan says it could also be used
by Healthkick Huron to help train
healthcare professionals such as the
local RPN course or by- the Gateway
Rural Health Research Institute to
transmit research findings.
Seaforth hospital site ` administra-
tor Mary Cardinal says the hospital
is also part of the Ontario Telemedi-
cine Network and while it has used
the, technology mainly for video con-
ferencing, clinical consultations are
also occasionally done with special-
ists.
She adds the technology was a "life
saver" during the SANS outbreak in
Toronto in 2004 when health profes-
sionals met daily through video con-
ferencing to discuss the outbreak.
"Healthcare providers - couldn't go
to another facility during the out-
break so it was a great communica-
tions tool," she says.
When the technology was first in-
stalled at the hospital, doctors were
not using it for clinicial consultations
because the provincial fee schedule
for physicians prevented them from
being paid if they did not meet a pa-
tient face to face.
However, Major-McEwan says doc-
tors can now bill OHIP for telemedi-
cine.
That roadblock has been cleared,"
she says.
submitted photo
Barb Major-McEwan, Huron FHT executive director, Aime Habamenshl, of Telus Collaboration Ser-
i Ices, social worker Joan Spittal, nurse practitioner Janet Obre and board member Tony Van Den
Hengel gather as the FHT is hooked up to'the Ontario Telemedicine -Network.
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