Newswise — NEW BRUNSWICK AND SOMERVILLE, N.J. – When a child falls ill, receiving the right emergency care at the right time is crucial for recovery. Unfortunately, specialized pediatric emergency rooms can be far away, further delaying diagnosis and treatment in a time of need. To ensure children receive the urgent care they need, regardless of location, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) now offers emergency pediatric telemedicine, connecting patients to physicians on its Somerset campus with pediatric emergency medicine at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at RWJUH in New Brunswick through a secure, remote network.
Using real-time video conference via a remote telepresence device, telemedicine allows physicians to evaluate patients from a remote location, eliminating the need for extra travel in emergency situations. A remote doctor can immediately access a patient’s records and medical history to facilitate examination through the two-way camera system. The present physician administers specialized videography integrated with a stethoscope and opthalmoscope to provide a remote doctor an up-close view of the patient’s vitals or injury site. Through the connected stethoscope, the remote physician can hear the patient's heart/lung sounds at the same time as the onsite physician so they can work together to treat the patient. “By providing telemedicine for our emergency pediatric patients, we’re able to increase access to specialized pediatric care across the region,” said Richard Brodsky, MD, Director of Pediatric Telemedicine at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “Parents can rest assure that their children always have access to the most specialized care, without the added stress of transfers and travel. We expect telemedicine to help expedite the diagnosis process, helping children receive the care they need when they need it.”
“We’re bolstering our telemedicine capabilities adding a dedicated remote telepresence device for our pediatric emergency patients,” added Marc Milano, Medical Director of RWJUH Somerset’s Emergency Department. “We’ve seen increased patient outcomes since introducing our Teleneurology program for stroke patients in 2014. By expanding our capabilities for pediatric emergency telemedicine our goal is to provide better care more quickly especially in emergency situations where time can be a critical factor for a patient’s survival and recovery.”
RWJUH’s Telemedicine Program provides RWJUH Somerset pediatric patients access to BMSCH services including board-certified pediatric doctors who specialize in trauma and emergency medicine. If a pediatric patient who comes to RWJUH Somerset needs a second opinion for an emergency condition, telemedicine can connect them with a doctor to reach a diagnosis before the child would arrive in New Brunswick. If a pediatric patient who comes to RWJUH Somerset needs a second opinion for an emergency condition, telemedicine can connect them with a doctor to reach a diagnosis before the child would arrive in New Brunswick. If a patient requires a procedure following the telemedicine consultation such as surgery, or would require admission to the tertiary care children's hospital, the child may be transferred to BMSCH for an in-person evaluation. BMSCH’s Pediatric Emergency Department is a standalone pediatric emergency department – completely separate from RWJUH’s adult emergency room. It is specially designed to meet the needs of children and their families with features such as:
- A warm, friendly, child and family-centered atmosphere
- Boardcertified pediatric physicians
- 24/7 attending physician coverage
- Exclusive pediatric triage nurse 24hoursa-day
- Specially trained pediatric Emergency Medicine nurses and technicians
- Child life specialists who ease children’s fears and lessen the anxiety of a hospital visit
- Moderate sedation service
- New Jersey’s first American College of Surgeons-designated Pediatric Trauma Center
For more information about BMSCH, please call 1-866-66-BMSCH or visit http://www.bmsch.org/. To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rwjuh and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RWJUH.
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