Augusta University: Telemedicine may save rural healthcare

Georgia-based Augusta University has released a report, which details how the university can assist in "stabilizing rural hospitals."

The report is a project of the Rural Hospital Task Force, which was appointed by Augusta University President Brooks Keel, PhD, in an effort to identify key issues facing rural hospitals. Patients at rural hospitals tend to be older and are more likely to be uninsured than patients at other facilities, according to the report. Rural hospitals may also lack specialized physicians and updated facilities.

To address these issues, the task force put forth a set of recommendations for both rural hospitals and the university, including ongoing education of rural hospital CEOs, participation in shared services and strategic use of technology. A key recommendation is expanding the use of telehealth, which the task force sees as a way to increase patient access to specialized physicians while reducing hospital expenses.

The task force uses the university's web-based telestroke program, called REACH, as an example of a successful telehealth program. The program connects stroke patients at rural hospitals with physicians who have experience with stroke treatment, since many rural hospitals lack specialists. Through REACH, which launched in 2003, Augusta University has performed more than 7,000 stroke consultations.

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