Telecardiology

Telecardiology uses new medical technology and telecommunications to provide timely cardiology consults for patients seeking care and treatment for low risk Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) at Union Hospital Clinton instead of transferring to a larger facility.

Patients who enter the emergency department with a chief complaint of chest pain are accessed to determine if they are low-risk and able to remain at UHC for their hospital stay. Hospital personnel then complete a simple, easy-to-use checklist to communicate with the cardiologist related to the patient’s past medical condition and current status.

After transmitting the history of present illness and other key data points to the cardiology team, the patient is taken to a telemedicine examination room where a live, video-conference with their cardiologist takes place. The cardiologists are able to listen to the patient’s heart tones and breath sounds during the interaction and provide treatment recommendations and orders for the patient at the conclusion of the examination.

Since its implementation in January 2009, the program has been highly successful in improving quality outcomes for patients with low-risk cardiology complaints seeking care and treatment at Union Hospital Clinton.