Specialized technology allows children to get medical care from hundreds of miles away
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IDAHO FALLS — Children in east Idaho can now get the help they need from doctors who are hundreds of miles away.
Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City is providing medical treatment for patients through telehealth clinics. These services are increasing orthopedic care for local children and have been ongoing for a year.
“We live in a huge geographic area where people are pretty spread out and so there’s a few places that have specialized medical care. Salt Lake City is one of them and we serve a catchment that includes Idaho and parts of Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado,” Shriners Hospital orthopedic surgeon Dr. Theresa Hennessey says.
Through video technology, specialists at Shriners Hospital are able to connect with patients and conduct a real-time appointment.
“A family that lives four hours away to drive for what’s a five to ten-minute visit is asking a lot of a family, it costs money and they have to take time off work,” Hennessey says.
Dr. Alan Adams, physician assistant at Community Family Clinic, works as a telehealth coordinator and assists doctors who are far away. He says in the surrounding areas there isn’t much access to specialty orthopedic care for children.
“It’s been successful because of the need in the area. Unfortunately, in Idaho Falls and the surrounding areas, there’s not a lot of access to pediatric orthopedic specialty care,” Adams says.
Hennessey says telehealth allows patients to get new and follow-up care they may need.
“Obviously we can’t do surgery over telehealth and patients usually do have to come down here at some point for some treatments, but it allows us to see the patients on an intermittent basis and plan their care well,” Hennessey says.
Shanna Nunez says this new service is beneficial as one of her sons suffers from bilateral clubfoot. She and her family would have to frequently travel to Utah to see specialists but she is now saved a two-day trip.
“I don’t have to pull them out of a whole day of school. I can get off work, pick them up and come to the appointment. It takes 45 minutes,” Nunez says.
Adams says if patients are interested in learning more about telehealth care, they should first speak with their physician.