Georgia working diligently to expand telemedicine network
Georgia is on its way to establishing the most sophisticated telemedicine network in the nation. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) plans are driven by DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, MD's vision to expand the network to all of the state's health districts and county health departments.
DPH began this month distributing 13 telemedicine carts to health districts around the state, each equipped with a stethoscope, endoscope and a basic exam camera. The department also will put the finishing touches on the videoconferencing infrastructure it has been consolidating, updating and expanding over the past year, according to an article posted on the DPH website.
Georgia's residents certainly have a need for increased access to care. According to the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, 52 percent of Georgia's physicians are located in five areas that serve just 38 percent of the state's population. The state also ranks 40th in the U.S. when it comes to adequate distribution of doctors by specialty and geographic location, according to the article.
Some providers visit rural areas to treat underserved patients but the department feels that the travel time could be better spent seeing patients through telemedicine.
The videoconferencing systems have been in place in some rural districts for nearly a year, and the use of those systems has been steadily increasing. In the first quarter of 2012, an average of 15 sites used the system each day. By the end of 2012, that number had tripled.
To expand the network, DPH is recruiting doctors and dentists in the Georgia Volunteer Health Care Program to enroll them in the telemedicine program and get them the necessary audio and video equipment to start seeing patients. The department also hopes to expand the telemedicine network to include doctors in the 80 clinics in the Georgia Free Clinic network.
In 2013, DPH will also begin training public health staff around the state to operate the equipment on the telemedicine carts and to facilitate patient care.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.