Applications of Telemedicine and Telecommunications to Disaster Medicine
Historical and Future Perspectives
- Corresdpondence and reprints: Victoria Garshnek, MS, PhD, Pacific Regional Program Office, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Road, MCPA-PO, Tripler AMC, HA 96859-5000. e-mail: 〈garshnek{at}mhpcc.edu 〉
- Received 27 April 1998
- Accepted 11 September 1998
Abstract
Disaster management utilizes diverse technologies to accomplish a complex set of tasks. Despite a decade of experience, few published reports have reviewed application of telemedicine (clinical care at a distance enabled by telecommunication) in disaster situations. Appropriate new telemedicine applications can improve future disaster medicine outcomes, based on lessons learned from a decade of civilian and military disaster (wide-area) telemedicine deployments. This manuscript reviews the history of telemedicine activities in actual disasters and similar scenarios as well as ongoing telemedicine innovations that may be applicable to disaster situations. Emergency care providers must begin to plan effectively to utilize disaster-specific telemedicine applications to improve future outcomes.
Footnotes
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The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
