Manitoba telehealth network fully operational. (Health).WINNIPEG -- The new Manitoba Telehealth network was launched as a high-tech tool for the delivery of health care "This means less travel for patients, more access to the variety of medical specialists located at Winnipeg hospitals and access to continuing medical education continuing medical education See CME. for health care providers outside of Winnipeg," said Health Minister Chomiak. The minister added that 62 health professionals, including 48 doctors, have agreed to provide services in 31 clinical service areas over the network. Patients and doctors have taken advantage of the network 418 times to date. Clinical areas include psychiatry, dermatology, infectious diseases infectious diseases: see communicable diseases. , hepatology, neurology, urology urology Medical specialty dealing with the urinary system and male reproductive organs. It traces its origin to medieval lithologists, itinerant healers who specialized in surgical removal of bladder stones. , pain clinics, otolaryngology, speech and language pathology The practice of speech-language pathology includes prevention, diagnosis, habilitation, and rehabilitation of communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive disorders; elective modification of communication behaviors; and enhancement of communication. , cardiology, respiratory disease Noun 1. respiratory disease - a disease affecting the respiratory system respiratory disorder, respiratory illness adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, wet lung, white lung - acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the and pediatric surgery Pediatric surgery (sometimes spelled paediatric surgery) is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Many pediatric surgeons practice at children's hospitals. . The network links northern and rural patients with specialists, and medical staff can consult with-each other without having to travel. The initiative includes 23 Telehealth sites across the province and is funded as a two-year, shared-cost incentive with $1.5 million from Manitoba Health and $3 million from Health Canada through the Canada Health Infrastructure Partnerships Program. Participants at both ends of the videoconference network can talk to, hear and see each other. Additional specialized equipment such as digital cameras, digital otoscopes and document cameras have been deployed to improve assessment and information sharing. "Network staff are currently evaluating electronic stethoscopes to assess heart and lung sounds over distance," said Dr. Ray Postuma, Manitoba Telehealth Medical Director. Continuing medical education courses have begun and are expanding over the network for physicians, nurses and other health care staff. |
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