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CNI & Swedish Medical Center Announce Colorado's First Interactive Telemedicine NetworkSpecialty physicians reach across Colorado to save livesDonor Funds First Installation at Vail Valley Medical CenterJanuary 25, 2006 (ENGLEWOOD/DENVER) - Imagine technology that allows a physician to examine a patient hundreds of miles away - reading their vital signs on bedside computers, examining the pupils of their eyes and talking back-n-forth in real time - all through a tiny laptop-mounted camera, a portable suitcase-sized computer and the Internet. CO-DOC, the Colorado Digital Online Consultant, is a breakthrough program coordinated by the Colorado Neurological Institute in conjunction with Swedish Medical Center and Blue Sky Neurology that will now allow physicians to provide lifesaving exams and treatments to stroke patients across Colorado. Outside the metro area, hospitals face the challenge of not having neurologists available, and they sometimes lack the confidence or resources to deliver the necessary treatments to reverse a stroke. "When a patient suffers a stroke, time is absolutely critical," said Dr. Chris Fanale, the physician coordinator for CO-DOC. "This technology makes it so I'm almost literally in the room next to the patient. I can now 'be' at a hospital 100 miles away in a matter of minutes - overcoming the hurdles of time and distance that can mean life or death for some people." CO-DOC applies technology proven to improve care during a recent clinical study in San Diego. The proprietary system, designed by BF Technologies, delivers smooth video from almost any Internet connection, automatic adaptability and error correction, dramatic zoom capabilities, and near real-time communications with perfect audio and video synchronization and no echo The patient and physicians both have two-way video and audio for a more accurate and personal experience. The goal? To harness the power of the latest technology through CO-DOC and deliver advanced stroke expertise to support outlying hospitals and save the lives of countless stroke patients. So impressed was Doug Tisdale when he heard CNI was coordinating the CO-DOC telemedicine program, he decided to donate $17,500 toward the first installation in his adopted home town of Vail, Colo. "My wife, Patricia, died of a stroke two years ago," said Tisdale, attorney and member of the board of directors for both CNI and Vail Valley Medical Center. "In her memory, I want to help ensure any stroke victim, regardless of where they are, can have access to every resource available to survive a stroke." Hospital administrators and physicians at Vail Valley Medical Center agree. The hospital is paying the remainder of the installation costs to include a CO-DOC remote machine in their Emergency Department. "We can now link our leading physicians with stroke specialists at Swedish Medical Center any time day or night," said Chip Woodland, Emergency Department physician and medical director at Vail Valley Medical Center. "It is so exciting to think of the potential lives we can impact for our patients by working as a team across the state." Each year, more than 7,000 people in Colorado suffer a stroke, whether from a blood clot or from bleeding arteries in the brain. Until recent years, the technology to ensure accuracy, clarity and compliancy with federal privacy laws (HIPAA) was not available. CO-DOC opens up a new avenue to deliver expert care and a whole new realm of possibilities for the future of healthcare. About Swedish Medical Center About Colorado Neurological Institute About Vail Valley Medical Center
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Why is CO-DOC so special?The CO-DOC program is set up differently than any other telemedicine efforts in Colorado. CO-DOC is HIPAA compliant and uses the Internet, but can be accessed from anywhere (unlike the point-to-point connections that other telemedicine attempts). If there is a stroke emergency at 2 a.m., the doctor can consult from his wireless PC at home, for example. This system also has a remote control, so the consulting physician can control the camera. The image quality and synchronization is the latest technology – for conducting a virtual exam on a stroke/neuro patient, you can’t tolerate disruption or delay in the video or audio. This system is also designed to treat emergencies – with a stroke, treatment timing is critical. Leading the CO-DOC program are Dr. Chris Fanale, who was involved in an NIH study for this system in California and for other telemedicine projects, and Dr. Don Smith, medical director for the comprehensive, nationally certified Stroke Center at Swedish and CNI. Only a few other states in the United States –
including California, Texas, New York – have an interactive, complete
telemedicine package like CO-DOC. |
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Colorado Neurological
Institute Stroke Center
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