From an office in T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, I examined the volunteer’s ear, taking advantage of magnification in visualizing his eardrum. I had never had a clearer view of the ear canal. I moved on to an inspection of his throat. A lens for examining his skin allowed 60x magnification with such resolution that I could see his fingerprint quite clearly. A stethoscope attachment permitted amplification of heart sounds. I listened to his chest. My “patient” was in Waycross, Ga.
Welcome to the world of telemedicine.
Key to my long-distance exam was a Horus HD Digital Scope. This handheld device has interchangeable accessories for different exams and can capture still or video images, which may be transmitted instantly by secure internet connection, in my case to a computer screen. The examiner and I could converse and share the same images or sounds simultaneously, though we were 350 miles apart. The digital scope is the crucial technologic link for an evolving program in school-based health care.
Dr. Clif Cleaveland
Children’s Hospital at Erlanger leads a broad coalition that has established an expanding program of telemedicine for regional schools. Partners include the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chattanooga, Pediatric Health Improvement Coalition of the Tennessee Valley, Ocoee Regional Health Corp., UT Family Medicine Center at Erlanger, Bradley County Public Education Foundation, Tennova Healthcare, United Way of the Ocoee Region and Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth. The goal of the program is to provide quality health care to schoolchildren, some of whom reside in remote or underserved parts of our region.
Thirty-four schools in five school systems across four counties (Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton and Polk) currently participate in the telemedicine program. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which rotates among four schools and a clinic at Waterville Elementary in Bradley County, is linked to the network. Three telemedicine carts are placed in Bradley County High School’s Health Occupations Classes for instructional purposes.