“… Virtual medicine is a globally burgeoning field that’s exploded in recent weeks due to COVID-19 spread concerns and stay-at-home city and state orders. At [Brooke Army Medical Center], traditional face-to-face appointments for most routine care have increasingly shifted to virtual care to ensure social distancing as well as patient and provider safety.”
Reducing COVID Exposure
“BAMC has been leveraging every virtual asset to its fullest extent over the past month, starting with the San Antonio Military Health System COVID-19 Nurse Information Line, where nurses administer an initial COVID screening, and the Central Appointment Management Office, which offers telemedicine appointments for primary care needs…”
“Virtual appointments can be used for medication refill requests, lab and radiology results, cold and allergy symptoms, urinary tract infections and routine follow-up appointments in which a physical exam isn’t required…”
Critical Capability
“The shift to virtual healthcare is one the Military Health System has been anticipating for several years. Two years ago, BAMC became an innovation focal point with the launch of the military’s first Virtual Medical Center. The center’s intent is to serve as a testbed for new capabilities and a centralized program structure to advise and oversee global virtual health efforts.”
“Since that time, virtual health has proven invaluable in supporting troops on the battlefield with real-time health assessments, preventing lengthy trips to other locations for routine or certain types of specialty care, such as dermatology, explained Army Lt. Col. Sean Hipp, director, Virtual Medical Center..”
Future Innovation
“While the majority of BAMC’s virtual appointments are conducted via telephone at this point, Hipp sees a tremendous future application for video-based platforms. ‘Just one example is a virtual lactation consult,’ he noted. ‘Our experts can use video to teach new parents how to latch in the comfort of their own home.’”
“While video would be a welcome asset, the challenge has been in developing a virtual platform that’s able to be integrated with government software and electronic health records. This type of secure platform is still being researched, Hipp noted…” Read the full article here.
Source: Military hospital dials in virtual healthcare to combat COVID-19 – By Elaine Sanchez, April 13, 2020. Military Health System.
