AKAMAI project: Teleradiology in the pacific

Abstract

NE OF THE MOST ambitious and technologically sophisticated automation initiatives being conducted at Tripler Army Medical Center (Honolulu, HI) is called "AKAMAI", a native Hawaiian word meaning intelligent or wise. This is a Congressionally funded, multiyear project, sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Inouye. The project seeks to establish Tripler as the nation's most modern and capable digital telecommunication medical center. Over the next 5 years, Tripler will make the transition into a fully digital electronic medical environment capable of overcoming the time and distance barriers imposed by the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Using satellite and submarine-cable communications, Tripler will establish contact with relatively underserved customers and patients located in remote clinics and small hospitals on the Pacific Rito. Tripler will be able to project the consultative expertise of its medical specialists and subspecialists into these remote locations and bring medical center level consultation to primary care providers and patients. In many cases, this will obviate the need for costly medical air evacuation of patients eastward across the Pacific to obtain tertiary-level care and treatment. Sites affected include the US Department of Defense installations scattered around the Pacific, whose health care beneficiaries look to Tripler for specialty-and subspecialty-level health care. Ships at sea will be able to access Tripler via telecommunication links. Remote island populations under the US Public Service will also be offered access. On the Korean Peninsula, access to radiology interpretation services has been a perennial problem of the US Army 18th Medical Command. In the past, as muchas a 2-week film-toreport turnaround process was routine. With installation of a teleradiology system, clinicians

What do physicians think of telemedicine? A survey in different European regions

“…The acceptance of telemedicine for diagnostic purposes was high (question 19). This is not surprising, as different workers have already proved telemedicine to be suitable for diagnostic purposes 3,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] .…”

“…The person at the remote end of the link receives the data via telecommunication and can form an opinion without having direct contact with the problem. This technique has been successfully used in a variety of places in various medical disciplines for remote diagnosis 3,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . (2) Teleteaching or telelearning, which tries to make local information accessible to users in distant locations.…”

Navy Telemedicine: A Review of Current and Emerging Research Models

“…A program description by Cook et al briefly described the Tripler Army Medical Center's implementation of digital communications in teleradiology in the Pacific region using a "huband-spokes" model. 28 Operation "Shooting Star" airlifts a Deployable Telepresence Unit to remote locations and connects primary care providers and patients with the Tripler's medical specialists via satellite or ground communications. Digital radiology simplifies logistics and allows remote care, even in harsh environments.…”

Navy Telemedicine: Current Research and Future Directions

“…Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii has been especially prolific in producing telemedicine studies that deal with different treatment populations (Delaplain, Lindborg, Norton, & Hastings 1993;Cook, Hansen, Leckie, & Francoise 1995;Calcagni et al 1996;Norton et al 1996Norton et al , 1997Peters and Peters 1998;Birkmire-Peters, Peters, & Whitaker 1999;Burgess et al 1999;Garshnek and Hassell, 1999;and Hill, AUman, and Ditzler 2001.) The need for a framework within which to interpret and utilize the Navy's own ongoing assessment is readily apparent (Garshnek and Hassell 1999).…”

“…A program description by Cook et al (1995) briefly outlined the Tripler Army Medical Center's implementation of digital commxmications in teleradiology in the Pacific region using a "hub-and-spokes" model. Operation "Shooting Star" airlifts a Deployable Telepresence Unit (DTU) to remote locations and connects primary care providers and patients with Tripler's medical specialists via satellite or ground communications.…”