BOSTON – Tufts Medical Center physicians are conducting live medical consultations with patients in earthquake-ravaged areas in Haiti from their facilities in Massachusetts.
Tufts clinicians on the ground in Haiti, together with Tufts University School of Medicine students there, consult on demand and in real time with Boston-based Tufts Medical Center specialists to augment treatment for Haitian patients in such challenging conditions.
"Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center have a long-standing commitment to improving the health of patients and communities, both in our own backyard and around the world," said Joyce Sackey, MD, dean for multicultural affairs and global health at Tufts University School of Medicine. "As part of our ongoing medical relief efforts in Haiti, we can now bring a breadth of high-quality specialist care directly to the people whose lives have been affected – care that otherwise would be an inaccessible plane ride away."
The Online Care system for the humanitarian effort was donated by Boston-based American Well.
"This service allows Tufts to offer Haitian patients unprecedented access to a wealth of specialists with expertise in critical areas such as infectious diseases, orthopedic injuries, post traumatic psychiatric conditions and pediatric illnesses, to name a few," said Helen Boucher, MD, director of the infectious diseases fellowship program at Tufts Medical Center. "Our medical students and faculty will now be able to bring this tremendous resource directly into the medical centers, institutions and villages where they can have the greatest impact."
Online Care allows Haiti-based Tufts University medical students to observe patient consultations alongside Tufts Medical Center faculty while they engage in immediate live encounters with Boston-based Tufts Medical Center specialists. Students and faculty members will be able to initiate these encounters at any time, via the Web or by telephone.
During each live interaction, specialists will be able to review patient clinical information, speak with and see the patient, and suggest treatment and follow-up care. The system will automatically create a complete record of each conversation, supporting collaboration among the providers caring for a patient. First and second year Tufts University medical students are participating in a purely observational role.
"We are excited to support Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center in their efforts to improve the health of communities struck by the devastating earthquake in Haiti," said Roy Schoenberg, MD, CEO of American Well Systems. "Our collaboration shows that technology can be a powerful tool to redistribute medical services where they are needed most, overcoming access barriers not only within the U.S. but in response to humanitarian needs around the globe."
