Telemedicine Case Study
The TeleStroke platform at Massachusetts General Hospital has been successful under the direction of Shawn Farrell because its scope and procedures were extensively researched before they were implemented. Rapidly expanding the telemedicine offerings at the hospital is not something which can be done easily and will require equal amounts of research and development for each new project and department.
First and foremost is the concern that the expanded use of telemedicine in pediatrics might not be financial feasible, given that emergency pediatric conditions are less common than stroke and may not justify the cost (Gogan & Garfield, 2012, p. 9). Also, the checklist for stroke consultations is far less complicated than it is for a more general array of pediatric concerns. Because it was only a single condition, the pricing for a stroke consultation may be far easier to determine than it would be for a general array of pediatric cases. Even the system of consultation for strokes using telemedicine required extensive analysis of the participating hospitals, the likely number of stroke cases, and other data to ensure that care was adequately compensated. It is uncertain if the same amount of data can be compiled about the pediatric department. There...
However, Action B, or assuming a consulting position, is not currently feasible given that Farrell lacks the full range of knowledge necessary to augment current services, which were specifically designed to offer a very specific form of care to a very specific type of patient. Even if costs and workflow allocations issues were clear, whether telemedicine is feasible to be offered to pediatric patients as a general service remains uncertain and more research is needed. The field is also still maturing and more data than simple anecdotal evidence may be required to satisfy current regulations and insurance requirements.
Of all the options, Action D, or doing the necessary work to create an institutional proposal to augment telemedicine consultation, seems to be the most desirable. This should include a budget, likely costs, the full range of services that…
