Telemedicine
There are three components to the telemedicine service provided through the MGH PICU. First, through our state-of-the art telemedicine link, we provide live video conferencing between the PICU and select patient rooms in emergency departments at outlying community hospitals. Via this link, fellows provide on-demand medical advice and guidance to help assess, and if needed, stabilize critically ill infants and children and prepare them for transport to the PICU. Secondly, our telemedicine technology currently supports an international link between the Buen Samaritanu Hospital in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and our PICU. Under the supervision of the on-service attending, the fellow provides teaching and consultation on challenging pediatric cases presented by faculty in Puerto Rico.
Finally, this innovative technology is designed to support live video conferencing between the PICU team in-house overnight and the on-service attending, at home. Any member of the team may request a teleconference with the attending for the purpose of virtual bedside evaluation of a new patient, reassessment of a patient whose condition may be deteriorating, or a team meeting with other subspecialty consultants and family members at the bedside. One of the many advantages of this technology is that it allows the on-call fellow the opportunity to be on the frontline, independently leading the unit overnight while still having access to appropriate faculty supervision. All faculty live in close proximity to the hospital and can return to the hospital within minutes to provide direct supervision of the fellow when needed.
