Center for Distance Health UAMS Terri Imus, RN, BSN CDH Trauma Telemedicine Director

 Telemedicine is the delivery of medical care or services from a distant site.  Telemedicine utilizes interactive video and audio teleconferencing technology that allows a physician at UAMS to see the patient and or of imaging, (x-rays, pictures, MRI’s or echocardiograms etc.) in real time as well as stored.  When needed the Center for Distance Health at UAMS uses specialized equipment that digitally transfers images to UAMS.

 Arkansas has a large rural population with limited specialists in the rural areas.  Sometimes emergency arises  Trauma emergency can happen anywhere in the state.  Having access to care in an emergency can mean life and death  Every hospital has access to TM

 Trauma Image Repository is a centrally located server that receives images from any hospital in the state who is part of the statewide trauma system. ( and others who are not part of the system)  The local hospital where the patient is can send images to the repository.  These images are available to any physician who is planning the care of the patient where the patient is being transferred to as soon as they are completed at the local site.

 Care for a hand injury in the state of Arkansas has had it limits in the past.  Patients who suffered a serious or not so serious hand injury may have been transported to a facility who did not have the needed specialist at the time or due to the non-severity of the injury could have been treated at a clinic locally.

 ACH is the only burn center in the state  Caring for both Pediatric and Adult burn patients.  Only one burn surgeon  Hope to have more consistent coverage for TM consults in the near future.

 AR Department of Health  Arkansas Trauma Communication Center  Trauma Image Repository  Hand Trauma Consults  ACH Burn Consults  Future access can be expanded