The Doctor is In
(Another Town)
Telemedicine brings doctors and patients together, despite distance.
Whether it’s an emergency or a routine doctor visit, health care for many of Texas’ rural residents is hours away.
Since 1990, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Center for Telemedicine has helped bridge the distance between patients and doctors in West Texas and the Panhandle.
Cameras, monitors and videoconferencing technology provide doctors and their patients the opportunity to consult with specialists hundreds of miles away, tackling colds, flu and immediate-care needs such as respiratory ailments or even rattlesnake bites.
“To make this truly beneficial to the patient, they have to have access to the best person available,” says Debbie Voyles, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center director of telemedicine. “If that person’s in Dallas, Houston or another state, that can happen now.”
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Telemedicine Participation
| Year | Rural Patients |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 509 |
| 2006 | 636 |
| 2007 | 657 |
| 2008 | 994 |
Source: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Humble Beginnings
The telemedicine program covers the state’s western half and has grown from one clinic in 1990 to serve residents in 11 rural communities, the Texas prison system, a school-based telemedicine program and two telepharmacies. Doctors at Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center saw four rural patients through the telemedicine system in 1997. In 2008, program doctors saw nearly 1,000 patients.
It started small, however, in a trial-by-fire scenario in Alpine.
“One of the first cases we handled by telemedicine was a baby girl whose heart rate was dropping, and I needed to speak with a neonatologist,” says Jim Luecke, an Alpine physician and charter member of the program. “One was able to look at the case via the telemedicine link and diagnose it as a type of pneumonia, which helped us treat it properly. It’s definitely been a lifesaver over the years.”
The biggest benefits for patients, as Luecke sees it, are access to specialized care and a speedy diagnosis and treatment plan.
“We’re so isolated out here, specialty care is hard to come by,” he says. “When you do run into a case where you need it, the telemedicine link gives access to specialists for patients who otherwise couldn’t travel or couldn’t afford it. It also allows us to make quicker decisions on how to proceed.” TR
Warm up to the Camera
Technology has made a dramatic difference in the quality of telemedicine since the TTUHSC’s Center for Telemedicine came online. Huge television monitors, bulky cameras and lights have given way to small, high-definition monitors and cameras that take up no more room than a compact stereo system, says Jim Luecke, a physician at Alpine Family Health Care, the first facility to use the telemedicine system.
“It’s made a huge difference in terms of the quality and the portability of it,” Luecke says. “And because we live in a television age, people have warmed up and are more open now to video consultation. Before, it may have seemed a bit cold.”
Not Kidding Around
Officials at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center want to improve access to pediatric care for children with Medicaid. Eligible communities must be rural – fewer than 150,000 residents – and have at least 100 Medicaid-enrolled kids, among other qualifications. The first rural treatment site opened in Stratford, Texas, in August, with another opened in Presidio and more planned.
“We’re looking at Andrews, Snyder, Paducah, Quanah and others,” says Debbie Voyles, the center’s director of telemedicine. “The main goal is trying to find a place where we can have the biggest impact on pediatric Medicaid kids.”