A service that enable patients to receive health care using cameras, microphones and computer video equipment is now available at the Rainy Lake Medical Center clinic campus.
Telehealth services between RLMC and Essentia Health allow patients the ability to communicate with specialists in the convenience of their local clinic, a RLMC release said.
Telehealth carts are designed and equipped with two-way video and audio equipment. RLMC staff are able to transmit information to consulting specialists, allowing Essentia physicians and providers to assess and recommend a course of care via live video conference. Telehealth is a cost effective and timely way to deliver the care patients need, the release said.
“Currently, patients who live in rural areas and need specialty care have to travel long distances,” said Kathy Hughes, assistant administrator-patient care at the RLMC clinic. “With certain telehealth services, they can connect to a specialist by video teleconference. This saves money, travel time, and inconvenience for our patients.”
The telehealth services offered include: congestive heart failure, diabetes care and education, psychiatry, and wound care.
RLMC officials are hoping to add more services through telehealth in the future.
