By Healthcare Facilities Today

University Hospitals is one of three health systems in Cleveland adopting telemedicine kiosks to expand the system’s reach and give patients better, cheaper access to medical care after hours, according to an article on the Med City News website.

UH recently opened a telemedicine kiosk at the Friendly Inn Settlement House, a social services provider in a high-poverty neighborhood. For three months, the health system will be collecting data to determine how the kiosk affects the cost of care and the volume of patients in the hospital’s emergency department.

Funded by part of a $12.7 million CMS Healthcare Innovation Award focused on expanding access to and coordination of care for children, the station is free for now for kids between the ages of three and 18 who are accompanied by a parent, the article said. 

Instead of heading to emergency departments to have minor ailments treated after hours and on weekends, they can receive prescriptions and medical advice from a remotely stationed UH doctor via the station, developed by the telemedicine company HealthSpot.

The self-enclosed station is manned by an attendant, usually a medical assistant or paramedic, who helps out during the visit and cleans the station between patients. Inside, it’s equipped with a high-definition videoconferencing system and interactive digital medical devices including a scale, a blood pressure cuff, a thermometer, an otoscope, a stethoscope and a pulse oximeter, the article said.

A physician is stationed at a computer with a web cam, using the portal to consult with the patient and capture images and readings from the devices.

Read the article.