Essay On Advanced Teletrauma

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for advanced teletrauma applications to improve trauma patient care due to insufficient resources. The use of telemedicine allows for patients in emergency situations in rural or urban areas as well as academic centers to receive medical attention necessary within their first care hour after the incident also known as the “critical hour.” Teletrauma provides access to trauma specialists who are located outside of the remote area, giving patients who are in a serious condition access to physicians who would otherwise be unavailable. Teletrauma technology, such as video access, allows for remote evaluations via video links between the remote hospital and the specialist’s …show more content…
It’s important for physicians to keep in mind that “distance is just as important as the disease.” (Bjorn, 2012) Transportation can be anywhere from minutes to hours from one hospital to another, resulting in prolonged treatment. The location is just one issue that can occur, others being, hospitals tend to be overcrowded adding to the limited resources, smaller budgets and funds available to hire trauma specialists, and higher demands for trauma care. Nationwide, healthcare has a shortage of clinicians available, including specialists, which in turn result in fewer remote hospitals having experts on staff, let alone the resources necessary for satisfactory outcomes. (Bjorn, 2012) With telemedicine on the rise, trauma care is becoming more accessible. Through telecommunications and remote monitoring, specialists located in central hub trauma centers have the opportunity to interact with clinicians in rural areas, allowing these rural hospitals to receive the necessary advice and medical attention that may drastically alter a trauma patient’s care and outcome. Advice can be given on proper treatments, whether or not a transfer is necessary, and decision support through real-time