Pediatric cardiology and telemedicine: seven years' experience of cooperation with remote hospitals.

BACKGROUND

A telemedicine program was initiated in November 2000 between the Pediatric Cardiology Department of a tertiary care hospital in Lisbon and pediatricians and obstetricians from three remote Portuguese hospitals: two in mainland Portugal and one in the Azores. Images were transmitted by a telemedicine link over three integrated service digital network (ISDN) lines to a regional pediatric cardiology unit for interpretation by a consultant pediatric cardiologist.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of all teleconsultations at our Department between November 2000 and December 2007. We analyzed the population (fetal, neonatal and pediatric), indications for teleconsultation, diagnoses, impact of the teleconsultation and medical management.

RESULTS

Over seven years, a total of 577 real-time teleconsultations were carried out in 500 patients, corresponding to 201 fetal exams (35%), 249 evaluations of newborns (43%) and 127 of children (22%). A total of 103 transmissions were urgent (18%). There were 364 positive diagnoses (63%) in 209 newborns (56%), 85 children (23%) and 71 fetuses (21%). Structural congenital heart disease was the most frequent diagnosis, complex in 95 patients. In all of the complex anomalies, the segmental arrangement and the main diagnosis were correctly assessed by telemedicine, with the exception of one case of a telemedicine diagnosis of atrial septal defect which was not subsequently confirmed. Nineteen patients required urgent transfer to Lisbon, while a medical team from our department traveled to the local hospitals and performed surgical ligation of a large patent ductus arteriosus in three premature newborns and a percutaneous atrioseptostomy in one newborn with transposition of the great arteries and severe desaturation unresponsive to prostaglandins, thus avoiding the transfer of unstable patients. The other patients were referred for follow-up in local clinics or for specialist consultation, either locally or at our hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, real-time telemedicine with on-line echocardiography, conducted by a pediatric cardiologist, is an important tool in the diagnosis or exclusion of pediatric cardiovascular diseases in patients admitted to remote hospitals. It plays an important role in continuous medical training for the staff of those hospitals, especially in the field of pre-and post-natal echocardiography. Telemedicine has significant medical, economic and social benefits for patients, families and institutions in remote areas, particularly in the field of pediatric cardiology.