Telehealth technology has come into its own in federal agencies, with the Defense Department one of its most longstanding supporters. However, the technology has reached a critical stage, and upgrades to architecture and networking infrastructure are needed, according to a report in Federal Times.
DoD has used telehealth for at least two decades, providing medical care to soldiers on the far reaches of a war zone. For example, in Afghanistan and Iraq, telehealth tools have connected frontline medics to experts in the U.S. to treat traumatic brain injuries in the field.
While the Army’s telehealth efforts center around connecting providers and patients, the Air Force has spent its resources on imaging, according to Lt. Col. Antonio Eppolito, a physician and chief of Air Force telehealth within the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. Radiologists and cardiologists share images through the Air Force’s systems, and endoscopy and pathology are also part of the effort.
Read the full report at Federal Times.
