Guam Memorial Hospital’s (GMH) updated telehealth system is using new technology to help patients. Telemedicine helps create a closer connection between patients and doctors. It does this by allowing patients to contact doctors via telecommunications services. Patients can dial in and talk to their doctor via phone or video call.
Telemedicine was first used to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. It can build a bridge between patients and experts. Especially doctors who are not in Guam during the pandemic.
According to the Guam Daily Post, the new technology used was a mobile camera and a stethoscope. Physicians who reach patients via telehealth use these to view any areas of concern. This enables them to view a patient’s heart or lungs through an online connection. In hospitals, patients can communicate with doctors through television. This helps specialists connect with patients. The bridge was then seen as an opportunity for other parts of the hospital. In particular, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and emergency rooms now have mixed staff.
The NICU unit is staffed by two on-site obstetricians and two telemedicine neonatologists. Emergency rooms also have doctors via telemedicine. Physicians in these areas are available to patients through a needs-based calling system. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ assessment of Guam Memorial Hospital for 2020, the hospital has some areas of concern. One of those concerns is that hospitals won’t have enough room to accommodate patients in 2020. It said the hospital was “unable to provide sufficient space to meet the long-term needs of the patient population”. The use of telemedicine can address these issues. GMH was able to reduce the number of patients requiring hospitalization, further addressing the lack of space.According to a press release from the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority, telemedicine “is another way [GMH] Continue to demonstrate its commitment to providing people with the latest healthcare improvements. “