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Military medics turn to telemedicine

May-10-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

[Link to Full Article]

TAMPA, Fla. — The use of telemedicine, in which doctors practice from afar using everything from telephone consultations to remote-controlled surgical tools, is rapidly expanding as the military upgrades medical care.

‘‘We see it as a force multiplier — that’s the buzz word,’’ said Army Col. Ron Poropatich, a critical-care doctor who is also the telemedicine consultant for the U.S. Army Surgeon General. [...]

For now, however, medical personnel are making use of what they have. In Iraq, 30 new Stryker evacuation vehicles allow medics to send and receive text messages about injured soldiers to other medical personnel.

‘‘It instills a lot of confidence knowing in a battle, you have someone to fall back on,’’ said Army Sgt. Stephen Dunne of Fort Lewis, Wash., a medic who is set to go to Iraq in September. ‘‘It’s good to have someone else who can sit and think with you.’’


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