Ongoing and Pending Projects
The Technology Exchange for
Cancer Health Network (TechNET): UTHSC, in collaboration with the
UT Cancer Institute (UTCI), has received funding from the Agency for Health
Research and Quality (AHRQ) and support from the National Cancer Institute,
to conduct cancer education and treatment services. The project builds upon
two activities to support continuity of care for cancer patients of the
region. The first is the unification of the electronic health record
systems and patient health information networks. The second revolves
around access to specialty services via the telehealth network. Patient
education and rural provider training are key components across both
activities. Services will be provided in seven clinics maintained by UTCI,
serving TN, MS and AR.
The Biomedical Information Technology Network
(BIT Network): This ongoing effort represents a successful
collaboration between the UTHSC and University of Tennessee Space Institute
(UTSI), to developed mobile, modular telemedicine system that provides
critical diagnostic and medical ocular care “on-demand.” Funding for this
effort was granted by the Department of Defense, in support of its interest
in utilizing systems that provide care independent of geography and
existing local infrastructure. The specific aims include development,
testing and deployment of modifications that will permit remote assessment
of critical vital signs, ocular disease states, and physiological functions
for population screening and remote medical assessment and triage.
The
Tennessee Integrated Training and Alert Network (TITAN): The
TITAN project is a state-wide collaboration between the campuses of UT and
the public health sector to develop and provide training and education to
prepare Tennesseans for a catastrophic public health event, including
bioterrorist attacks and emerging diseases. Built on a “Centers of
Excellence” approach, the members of the TITAN network collaborate to
develop material specific to their own expertise, then redistributed across
the entire state to all stakeholders via united video conference networks.
The Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities Project (MRDD): The MRDD project represents a
collaborate effort with the Tennessee Department of Health and Bureau of
TennCare, to take a holistic approach to the challenges of meeting the
needs of deinstitutionalized MRDD patients across the state. The project
plan provides training and education to ease the transition into community
life, support for caregivers in the local communities, education for
medical staff that may be unaccustomed to serving this population, and
streamlined referral services and reimbursement strategies.
The West TN Hospital Telehealth Project:
This project established an infrastructure for providing telemedicine
connectivity linking five small rural hospital locations with specialty
services and educational programming from the University of Tennessee
Health Science Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center (home of
UTHSC Department of Pediatrics). With over 500 specialty consults to date
and regular weekly educational programs, these communities have enjoyed the
benefits of better healthcare with less time off work, lower transportation
costs, and more timely access to appropriate healthcare providers.
East Tennessee Tuberculosis Project:
This Project combines the specialties of pulmonology, radiology and
infectious disease with Latino interpreters to provide an innovative form
of health care delivery to a dramatically growing population of
tuberculosis patients in the area. More than 20,000 patients were targeted
by this program in 2003-2004. The program combines early intervention and
home monitoring/direct observational therapy to treat the health needs of
this population.
Kids in Custody: Four interactive
telemedicine connections now serve Tennessee’s Group Youth Homes
(adolescent prisons) providing a high-risk, vulnerable population with
access to specialty medical services including psychiatry, drug counseling,
asthma management and specialty pediatric clinics. This program serves 820
of Tennessee’s neediest kids who present to the juvenile justice system
with a host of conditions, addictions, and special needs. As with the
adult prison system, clinicians are reluctant to work in detention
facilities, isolated from the resources and colleagues that can be found in
an urban medical center. The connection to UT telemedicine network
provides ongoing access to these direct services for children and
serves as a 24/7 educational and support resource for the local staff and
families.
Health Education in Rural Communities (HERC):
An innovative partnership between the Mid-South Telehealth Consortium (MSTC),
UT College of Pharmacy, the Southern Drug Information Center (2001-02),
and the Agricultural Extension Office has resulted in the ongoing
development of a network of laptop computers located in each rural county
across Tennessee. Program infrastructure allows Agriculture Extension
agents to access a library of digitally archived educational material that
is then presented to local schools, clinics, state fairs, churches, and
other areas of public interest. In many rural communities, the extension
agents are the only professionals trained as health educators making them a
vital resource to improving community health and connecting disjointed
health providers. The agents of the Agriculture Extension Service provided
over 9,000 educational sessions in the 2001 fiscal year.
Mobile Healthcare Project: The
MSTC Mobile Healthcare Project operates in collaboration with the Tennessee
Department of Health to provide mobile access to a variety of dental and
ophthalmology services previously unavailable in the rural communities of
central and western Tennessee. The dental outreach program provides
school-aged children with access to dental screenings, cleanings,
education, and the application of dental sealants through a unique
partnership between hygienists from the TN Department of Health and
dentists at UTHSC College of Dentistry. In FY2003-04, the mobile dental
unit that comprises a van with an onboard dental facility served 7,500
children from rural schools and community centers. A separate eye
screening program utilizes similar telehealth technology to provide
pediatric patients with screening services for the debilitating diseases of
diabetic retinopathy, myopia, strabismus, and keratosis.
Rural Pharmacy Residency Support Program:
In cooperation with nine rural pharmacies across Tennessee, the UT College
of Pharmacy has developed a rural residency program for pharmacy students
designed to train individuals to deal with the myriad of issues that arise
when serving a rural community. In addition to providing direct support to
pharmacy students, a telehealth network is being employed to provide
seminars and workshops on a wide variety of health issues for the local
population. These UT-produced health educational sessions allow local
residents interactive access to health specialists from their hometowns and
serve to increase health education in these isolated communities. This
program is expected to result in post-graduate placement of more
pharmacists in these underserved communities by building relationships and
supporting the local healthcare practice through on-going educational links
to metropolitan centers.
Pending Projects |
