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St. Mary's touts new remote treatment
Dr. Carl McComas utilizes some new technology in the form of a robot controlled via his office Friday, October 10, 2008, at St. Mary's Medical Center.
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HUNTINGTON -- Specialists at St. Mary's Medical Center are lending a helping hand to patients across the region, though that hand may be miles away.
A new remote presence robot at St. Mary's allows neurologists to assess stroke patients and help the emergency room physician in that location develop treatment plans, even when the neurologist can't be there.
"It's a good way for physicians to be in two places at one time, to extend their reach," said Christy Franklin, director of the neuroscience center at St. Mary's.
Franklin said the new technology will especially benefit rural areas that may not have the neurology services they need.
Currently, St. Mary's Medical Center and the Pleasant Valley Hospital in Mason County have robots, and several other partner hospitals will acquire the technology in the coming months.
Neurologist Dr. Carl F. McComas said response to the technology has been positive so far.
When McComas logs into the program from St. Mary's, the patient and staff in the other location will see his face appear on the screen at the top of the robot. Then they can communicate with the physician as though he was in the room.
The doctor can use a joystick at his desk to navigate the robot through hallways or around beds. He can even get in close to examine a patient's eyes.
The technology is especially important in areas such as neurology, where symptoms need to be quickly identified in the case of stroke and treatment needs to begin, McComas said.
"If it's not available, those people are often out of luck for perhaps advanced care," he said.
With the new technology, emergency staff at outlying facilities can quickly evaluate the patient and call St. Mary's.
Franklin also said response to the program has been positive.
"When you're talking to that physician one-on-one through the computer through the robot, you forget that the robot is there because you're carrying on a conversation," she said. "It's not a recording. It's not a machine. You are actually talking to someone. It doesn't really feel impersonal."
