Video conferencing connects surgeons with thousands of patients in rural areas
Virtual appointments save patients hours of travel time
Virtual appointments allow a team of Kelowna surgeons to reach thousands of patients in rural areas every year.
Drs. Shaun Deen, Michael Humer, Anand Jugnauth and Andrew Luoma of the Interior Health Thoracic Surgery Group are based at Kelowna General Hospital, but they serve a population of more than one million people across the Interior and the province’s North.
“In one day, I can see patients in Kamloops, Prince George, Dawson Creek and Oliver, review their medical images in real time and determine appropriate treatment plans,” said Humer. “It’s often better than seeing the patient in person, as I now see them with a family member who might not have been able to travel to Kelowna.”
The virtual appointments are conducted through secure videoconference technology.
A recent study lead by Humer found the ability to video-conference with patients improves patient care across vast distances.
“Patients from remote areas could wait more than six weeks for a local on-site clinic, even for urgent oncologic problems,” he said.
Between 2003 and 2015, the Interior Health Thoracic Surgery Group conducted 15,073 telemedicine appointments from 63 geographic locations.
This saved patients 11.5 million kilometres of travel distance, an average of 766 kilometres per patient, said Humer.
Patients only need to come to Kelowna for surgery.
“Patients, especially those that are elderly, are grateful to receive quality care but be spared the cost and stress of a multihour trip,” said Dr. Barbara Campling, head of medical oncology at the BC Cancer Agency in Kelowna.
The inability to conduct physical exams on patients is not a serious weakness with virtual clinics, said Humer.
“All patients have been previ- ously examined by their referring physicians, (and) the surgeon conducting the telemedicine session can request a local physician to perform an examination to corroborate a radiologic finding,” he said. “Those patients who come to Kelowna for thoracic procedures will meet the surgeon in person and have their physical findings verified at that time.”