Equipment and Network Validation
Quality control and maintenance are important when using any type of equipment in the medical arena. Once a site’s equipment is installed, using GPT’s specifications, the validation process will begin.
- An on-site validation form/process is completed and submitted to the Technical Director for review.
- Connect the new site and the Center’s hub site or other designated site.
- Conduct a thorough check of the network and all the system’s components. Any component that does not “pass” has to be brought up to standard before a site can be validated.
- A maintenance vendor responds to trouble calls on a 24 x 7 basis and provides quarterly preventive maintenance visits to all sites to ensure the ongoing reliability of the system.
Scheduling System
The GPT scheduling program will serve as the model and can be shared with new telehealth programs. This scheduling system is created with Share Point Designer, which gives access to anyone designated to view information regarding appointments for each site. The server is accessed via the internet by logging in with a username and password.
Users are able to view any announcements on their site, and can access all information within a portal that they have the access to view; especially the patient roster which provides the list of patients scheduled for the current and future days, as well as patients seen in the past. However, portals may not be viewed without permission.
The specific portal can be customized with information pertinent to a specific site, such as specialist forms for a particular type of consultation, or a contact list for the site – so that contact numbers are readily available for the consultant or the clinical staff. Confidential information that is restricted to certain members at a specific site can also be stored through the scheduling application.
The scheduling portals are customized for each of the participating sites, with a designated on-site scheduling coordinator trained on maintaining and supporting it, as well as training the site staff on the portal. Specialists are able to view their current telemedicine appointments schedule.
Clinical Educational Services
Rural and community health providers do not have access to the resources, continuing educational opportunities and information services available to health professionals in an academic or tertiary care facility.
The distance education and learning component of SETRC, when fully realized, will offer the most current medical information in a variety of formats that include text, graphics, and full motion video with sound. This clinical multi-media offering will include:
- electronic textbooks,
- patient simulations,
- current diagnostic algorithms,
- continuing education materials,
- physician and hospital directories,
- links to on-line journals,
- radiographic teaching files,
- government documents,
- material from faculty and guest lectures,
- a large patient information component.
While reading through any piece of text, the user has only to click on an image button to view graphics, radiographic or histologic manifestations, or a video of a patient presenting with the symptoms under discussion. Videos of open heart surgery, fluoroscopy, bronchoscopy, tracheal dilatation, intubation, open lung biopsy, pathology specimen preparations, pulmonary angiography, joint fluoroscopies, and pediatric airway obstructions are only some of the full motion clips to be found in the SETRC database.
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Enhanced Access to Information Service
Access to Library and information services have been shown to influence medical decision making in such areas as diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and length of hospital stay. SETRC, when fully realized, will offer community hospitals full access to a variety of medical and health databases.
