Simmons Scott, Alverson Dale, Poropatich Ronald, D'Iorio Joe, DeVany Mary, Doarn Charles R
University of Miami TeleHealth, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
Telemed J E Health. 2008 Nov;14(9):968-71. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2008.0117.
There are myriad telehealth applications for natural or anthropogenic disaster response. Telehealth technologies and methods have been demonstrated in a variety of real and simulated disasters. Telehealth is a force multiplier, providing medical and public health expertise at a distance, minimizing the logistic and safety issues associated with on-site care provision. Telehealth provides a virtual surge capacity, enabling physicians and other health professionals from around the world to assist overwhelmed local health and medical personnel with the increased demand for services postdisaster. There are several categories of telehealth applications in disaster response, including ambulatory/primary care, specialty consultation, remote monitoring, and triage, medical logistics, and transportation coordination. External expertise would be connected via existing telehealth networks in the disaster area or specially deployed telehealth systems in shelters or on-scene. This paper addresses the role of telehealth in disaster response and recommends a roadmap for its widespread use in preparing for and responding to natural and anthropogenic disasters.
远程医疗在应对自然或人为灾害方面有无数应用。远程医疗技术和方法已在各种真实和模拟灾害中得到验证。远程医疗是一种力量倍增器，可在远距离提供医疗和公共卫生专业知识，将与现场护理相关的后勤和安全问题降至最低。远程医疗提供了虚拟应急能力，使世界各地的医生和其他卫生专业人员能够协助不堪重负的当地卫生和医务人员应对灾后对服务的需求增加。灾害应对中的远程医疗应用有几类，包括门诊/初级保健、专科会诊、远程监测、分诊、医疗后勤和运输协调。外部专家将通过灾区现有的远程医疗网络或在避难所或现场专门部署的远程医疗系统进行连接。本文探讨了远程医疗在灾害应对中的作用，并为其在应对自然和人为灾害的准备和响应中广泛应用推荐了路线图。
