Telemedicine Effective for Diagnosing Neonate Heart Disease

The study, conducted by researchers at nine pediatric centers, was presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography.

The researchers found that pediatric centers that used telemedicine were more likely to provide effective triage than centers that did not. The use of telemedicine also reduced the length of intensive care stay, total hospital stay, and use of medical interventions with potential adverse effects. All the patients in the study were under the age of six weeks.
Patients in the telemedicine group and control group had mild or no heart disease. Transport to another care enter occurred in only 3% of the telemedicine group but in 20% of control patients without significant heart disease.

"This study shows that telemedicine has distinct advantages, including improved patient care and reduced costs, particularly when it comes to the care of newborns with suspected heart disease,” noted the study's authors.




Related Links:
American Soc. of Echocardiography