The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 13 COVID patients today, 17 Monday. Other significant numbers:
• 3 with the active virus today, 8 Monday
• 0 in ICU, 1 Monday
• 0 on a ventilator, 0 Monday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- We previously conducted about 100 telemedicine visits a day and now we do about 500-600. At the height of pandemic we were doing all our business, which is in the 1000s, every day.
- What we're seeing across the country is that in most places 10-15 percent of their visits are telemedicine.
- If you break it down by age, when you see the data the patients who are younger are pretty comfortable with the technology. They prefer to do the telemedicine visit especially if they have children at home.
- But on the other hand, some people do like to still come in and see the physician. It makes a lot of sense to come in, but for many people telemedicine can be super effective.
- Telemedicine has been one of the most important advances in the last decade. We need to make sure it continues to thrive, because at the end of the day, it helps our patients through faith, hope and science. This is something that we could all agree has helped all that it makes us stronger as a healthcare and as a community.
Dr. Karin Porter-Williamson, medical director, palliative care services, The University of Kansas Health System
- When we think about specialty palliative care, it's an extra layer of support underneath the primary providers. When the symptoms are more complex, when there's other complicating factors of comorbidities all getting added together. When there's complications, these are the times where adding palliative medicine to that team approach can help the team and help the patient and family.
- The really critical difference between palliative care and hospice care is that palliative care can be delivered at any age at any stage of illness and can be delivered right alongside curative interventions.
- Telemedicine has been absolutely revolutionary for our population because many patients have a hard time getting to us sometimes from across the state. It is great to reach patients I would never be able to see otherwise who wouldn't have access.
- Telemedicine has made it possible for family members out of state to be a part of those conversations. If a person is more homebound and not able to get out of the house, it's easier for them and their caregivers to have contact regular contact with their physician via telemedicine.
- Telemedicine is also about equitable access to health care. Our ability to give everybody the opportunity for the services that they need is critically important because every Kansan is important, not just the ones in the big cities.
Mark Hulen, palliative care patient
- Mark had cancer three times since 2019. When he met Dr. Skoch, he couldn’t walk and had severe pain.
- For appointments, it was easier to sit at home and take video calls with Dr. Skoch because it was quick access to help him through a very tough time.
- Also, now that he is in remission and back at work, telemedicine helps him avoid missing time at work to travel to and from a doctor’s office.
- He believes the relationship with his doctor is even stronger because of telemedicine.
Dr. Ben Skoch, palliative care physician, The University of Kansas Health System
- In Mark’s case, he was having a hard time getting around and had complex pain. Getting into the office for a visit would have been extremely painful, so telemedicine visits were crucial as we created the treatment journey for him.
- For other patients, it has been extremely eye opening to go inside people's homes via telemedicine – even if it's just one room – and you can get a sense for what their normal environment is or what their everyday life is like.
- It’s helped me gain a better understanding of where they're coming from when they talk about getting short of breath from the bed to the bathroom, which might only be several feet away.
- Palliative care is traditionally a high-touch field versus a high-tech field and telemedicine has really been gratifying and essential for a lot of our patients who have a hard time getting around.
- We bring care to them and really make it patient-centered, so I hope it's a part of my practice for years to come.
Eugene Jones, palliative care patient
- Eugene lives in southwest Kansas – a six-hour drive from Kansas City.
- After his own doctor died, he didn't have many options in town.
- Eugene's wife called telehealth a blessing otherwise, she would have to help make a 12-hour roundtrip with Eugene and his heavy oxygen canisters all the way to Kansas City to seek help and then have to go back.
- That's a long haul with somebody who has chronic illness, so it is difficult to bring people all the way in and then have to go all the way back home.
Friday, June 23 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. We’ll share the father and son story about the quick, easy treatment that can cure tremors, keep hands steady and get patients their lives back.
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