Telementoring and Teleproctoring in Trauma and Emergency Care

Purpose of Review: The use of telemedicine is long-standing, but only in recent years has it been applied to the specialties of trauma, emergency care, and surgery. We provide a review of its application in these disciplines. Recent Findings: Despite being relatively new, the concept of teletrauma, telepresence, and telesurgery is evolving and is being integrated into modern care of trauma and surgical patients. The role of telementoring for trauma has not been addressed in clinical trials, yet there are consultations and advise on how to manage a critically ill patient, which is telementoring and teleproctoring. Advances in technology, including telemedicine and telepresence applications for trauma, emergency management, and intensive critical care, may be the solution that can reduce, eliminate, or ameliorate the gap in trauma care between rural and urban areas. There is a plethora of examples of the application of telepresence and telemedicine in these fields, although at the current stage, most are only simple examples of the progression of telemedicine in trauma care. Conclusion: As the technology becomes more user friendly and less costly, the hope is that these modalities will become a norm, rather than an exception. What we need is for the trauma community to be creative in finding a sensible way to help both the patient and physician in the region or hospital where such resources are missing. In this review article, we address a number of elements, including historical notes of telesurgery and other studies pertaining to trauma and emergency care.