When Penn Medicine first introduced its Penn E-lert eICU a dozen years ago, the term “telemedicine” was only just entering the general lexicon. Since then, our 24/7 electronic intensive care unit has allowed for continuous monitoring by Penn faculty of what is now over 250 critical care beds across the health system. Penn E-lert offers an additional layer of monitoring for our sickest patients that complements traditional care at the bedside, and the program has grown to become one of the nation’s largest intensive care telemedicine programs – and one of the most effective for patient outcomes.
Today, millions of patients worldwide and more than half of U.S. hospitals use some form of telemedicine, according to the American Telemedicine Association. With smartphones in almost every pocket and tablets in many homes, patients can, in some settings, engage with healthcare providers as quickly and easily as they summon a cab or order a birthday gift online. Telemedicine – healthcare delivered via telecommunications technology including computers and mobile apps on phones and tablets – is making that increasingly possible.
Just as telehealth has grown over the years, so has Penn Medicine’s commitment to being a leader in the field. We’ve developed ways to use remote monitoring, web-based consultations, 4G telehealth tablets and other telemedicine tools to provide patients with the best care for everything from traumatic injuries to heart failure. We’ve expanded our telemedicine suite to include programs for home care patients, genetic counseling, stroke care, dermatologic evaluation, and more.
We’re taking this commitment to telemedicine to the next level with the newly established Penn Medicine Center for Connected Care, one of the largest telehealth centers in the country. Located at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse, the center has 50 full time employees, including nurses, family practice-trained nurse practitioners, and critical care physicians. It provides connected care across the tri-state area, making it the region’s largest telehealth hub.
The center will serve as a nucleus for Penn Medicine’s telehealth activity. It houses our first telemedicine program, E-lert eICU, along with more recent additions, such as a program that remotely monitors more than 160 post-hospitalization patients in their homes each month. Also part of the center is FirstCall, a new telehealth program that uses a single phone number to connect our 35,000 providers and staff members with round-the-clock nurse practitioners who provide virtual care on-demand for medical care that can be assessed and treated without an office visit.
Other Penn Medicine telemedicine programs are also expanding their reach. We now offer remote pre-evaluation and preparation for transplant patients, remote counseling for patients who are undergoing testing for genes that can cause cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, and remote postoperative follow-up after routine surgery in uncomplicated patients. These “network telemedicine” programs allow us to reach a much larger pool of patients who may benefit from but aren’t close enough to our hospitals to easily receive these services in person. Similarly, primary care practices are beginning to offer video visits for easier follow-up in suitable patients.
With industry leaders expecting U.S. telemedicine use to more than double in the next few years, Penn Medicine is excited to continue the transformative efforts that will pave the way.