In a recent Pew Charitable Trusts analysis, staff writer Michael Ollove investigates how school-based telemedicine can keep students in class and potentially reduce socioeconomic disparities in achievement.
Here's what you need to know:
1. For some health conditions, students have traditionally had to miss class to visit a physician's office; for example, a student suffering an asthma attack would have to visit the emergency room for treatment, and likely miss the rest of the school day. However, with video consultations set up in a nurse's office, students can access pediatricians without leaving school.
2. This avoidance of emergency rooms is particularly noteworthy for students who may have a contagious illness. Previously, if a school suspected a student had a contagion — such as pink eye — the student would be sent home; however, with telemedicine physician consultations, students can receive an accurate diagnosis.
3. Even for students who are required to miss school due to contagious illnesses, telemedicine is still beneficial due to quick diagnosis and treatment, according to Sharon Hobson, the head of telemedicine in Howard County, Maryland-based schools.
4. Studies have reported that telemedicine in school reduces emergency room visits; similarly, reviews of active school-based telemedicine programs have shown the majority of students treated through video consultation can immediately return to class.
5. Telemedicine has been proposed as a way to decrease socioeconomic disparities, in terms of both health and achievement. Ken Ulman, a former Howard County executive, argued that "health disparities in lower-income areas of the county were depressing student achievement," and suggested telemedicine as a solution, according to the report.