Teleconsultations

A major focus for Partners HealthCare continues to be the utilization of telemedicine in the developing world to reach underserved populations. The Cambodia Teleconsultation Initiative, now in its fourth year, is helping answer questions like: “How much of an impact can such projects have on outcomes and costs?” and “can these programs become self-sustaining?”

The preliminary results of the teleconsultations have been very promising.  Fewer patients in these remote Cambodian villages are being transferred to regional hospitals and the duration of the symptoms resulting from their medical problems has significantly decreased.  In the four years since the first clinic opened its doors, the amount of time patients suffer with their chief complaint before seeking help has decreased from three years to six months, reflecting dramatic improvement in access to care.  The most notable success of the teleconsultations has been the 100% satisfaction rate from the patients.  Satisfaction with the diagnosis, treatment and timeliness of the teleconsultations has been so significant that most patients have expressed a willingness to pay out of pocket for this low cost service.