Telemedicine and Telepresence for Surgery and Trauma

This is a unique question-and-answer chapter for surgical residents and trainees, concentrating on the telemedicine and telepresence for surgery and trauma. Telemedicine application in the intensive care units (ICUs) has become a reality in many institutions in the United States. A meta-analysis of observational studies showed that telemedicine, compared to standard care, is associated with lower ICU mortality and overall hospital mortality. Recent advances in technology, coupled with the decreasing cost of equipment, have opened the door for wider adoption of teletrauma. Robust systems can now be implemented that bring the telepresence of trauma surgeons and other emergency specialists into any rural hospital emergency room, allowing definitive trauma care to begin almost immediately after a patient's arrival at a rural hospital. Telepresence can help prevent departures from the standard of care and avoid errors experienced in low-volume rural emergency centers.