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ERIE, PA – Bluetooth-capable stethoscopes, allowing doctorsto hear heart sounds from across the country, are just oneinnovation Saint Vincent Health System is using in its newtelehealth network, which has reduced hospital readmissions andgenerated a 100 percent ROI in less than two months, officials say. Pleasanton, Calif.-based Polycom, a video conference andcommunications company, is helping Saint Vincent Health Systembuild a telehealth network with technology that seeks to makehealthcare more accessible by visually connecting healthcareprofessionals and patients in virtual environments across 26facilities in Pennsylvania. With the issue of location is eliminated, using video rather thantraveling, doctors can see more patients, and patients receivehigh-quality care with access to the expertise of the bestspecialists, regardless of physician practice location, officialssay. [See also: Telehealth gains urban oomph .] Saint Vincent's telehealth program began with a regionaltelemedicine network that used Polycom video to connectunderstaffed rural hospitals with remote specialists who consultand assist primary care physicians with evaluations and treatmentrecommendations. Its telehealth services include providing cardiology and oncologyservices to patients in rural areas; collaborative telestroke careand virtual, remote-patient rounds conducted by multidisciplinaryteams of specialists. The video technology also supports abariatric wellness program that educates and treats patientssuffering from obesity. The program achieved a 100 percent return on investment within twomonths by expanding the reach of Saint Vincent's bariatricservices, say Saint Vincent officials. "Rural medicine is such a challenge due to the distances thatmust be covered and limited resources," said Philip Wolford,coordinator of Saint Vincent's regional telemedicine network."Our tele-cardiology program is a great example of how Polycomvideo collaboration helps us overcome that challenge and hasliterally changed the way we practice medicine," Wolfordcontinued. "It is patient-centered care in the purest form.By reducing rehospitalizations, our program is driving costs downfor patients and other payers." [See also: Readmissions have hospitals stymied .] Saint Vincent's telehealth technologies include Bluetoothelectronic stethoscopes that enable clinicians to listen to lungand heart sounds from hundreds of miles away. The health system isalso using Polycom Video Content Management solutions to increasemultidisciplinary collaboration as another means to improve patienttreatment. "Teams of doctors collaborate remotely on grand rounds,exchanging observations, recommendations, and patient informationto improve and accelerate patient care," said Wolford. Thesegrand rounds are recorded, archived and published for staffers toview later on-demand as part of their continuing medical education. Saint Vincent also facilitates a weekly tumor board conferenceusing Polycom video. Oncologists with a variety of specialties fromremote locations review malignant tumors, using Polycom'shigh-definition content sharing capabilities. They work together todetermine the best course of treatment, giving patients the benefitof having an entire team of experts examining their medicalrecords. [See also: Video network translates into better care .] The Saint Vincent telestroke program was implemented in 2011. Thisprogram enables Saint Vincent physicians to immediately consultwith on-call neurologists at a renowned nonprofit medical centerand allows stroke patients' CT scans to be shared across thetelehealth network, giving Saint Vincent patients access to some ofthe best stroke care in the world. Within four months of launchingtelestroke, Saint Vincent successfully treated 65 stroke patients.That success led to an expansion of the program, which will includesix facilities by the end of 2012. I am an expert from chinabluetoothheadset.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Noise Cancelling Handset Manufacturer , Portable Emergency Charger, Retro Bluetooth Phone Handset,and more.
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