Sunday, March 31, 2013

Telemedicine and the New ASA Airway Algorithm

                         

 The adoption of the electronic Medical Record and the adoption of Telemedicine Promises to improve health care , greatly improve Patient Participation in Health care planning , and reduce cost of quality care at once.

  Avera Health in Sioux Falls South Dakota provides a glimpse of the future for this new technology.
The E-ICU , The E-ER, The E-Pharmacy links a large and increasing number of hospitals in the adjacent 7 states into a network that provides Quality care standards and Clinical support via an ever expanding IT framework.

 Dr Don Kosiak is the Medical Services leader of this innovative E-Care  Medical activity and leads the ATA special interest subgroup.  Mr Jay Weems , the Executive Director of the services , reports that the 24/7 telehealth service has resulted in a measured 18% decrease in Ambulance and Helicopter transfers to major hospitals which results in smaller hospitals being enabled to safely provide higher levels of care using protocols and monitoring from the center hospital.

The service is in the initial stages of using Telemedicine directed airway management techniques which promise to bring Video laryngoscopy to a new level of sophistication by allowing "big Hospital" guidance on a real time basis.  The combination of these techniques with the benefits of the new revised  ASA difficult Airway Algorithm which features Video laryngoscopy prominently in the planning of airway intervention is an extremely powerful combination.

Take the time to study the new ASA thinking as soon as possible.


Airway Geometry


The GlideScope Ranger