Telehealth increases access to doctors

MARENGO — Faced with difficulty finding physicians in some specialty fields, Compass Memorial Healthcare is launching a telehealth service.

The service will be available for neurology, rheumatology and endocrinology, said Jillissa Chvala, director of ambulatory clinics.

Neurology physicians treat chronic migraines and headaches and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, said Chvala.

Rheumatology deals with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, and endocrinology is concerned with the endocrine system, treating diabetes and thyroid conditions.

Compass has been referring patients to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City to see physicians in these specialty areas, said Chvala, but it can be months before appointments are available. At one time, neurologists wouldn’t see the patients at all because the physicians were so backed up, she said.

There is a huge need for these physicians, Chvala said.

With telehealth, patients aren’t limited to nearby doctors. They can see whichever physicians are available regardless of where the doctors are located.

Telehealth also solves problems with travel time and with finding transportation, Chvala said.

The physicians that Compass patients will see virtually are all board certified and licensed in Iowa regardless of their location, said Chvala. Patients will go to Compass to access telehealth, so they won’t have to figure out how to navigate the system themselves, she said.

A nurse will be present with patients to help with any requests from the doctor and to operate the telehealth device.

“We’re not just throwing this service out there for you to figure it out,” said Chvala.

Patients can get referrals to telehealth doctors from their primary care physicians and can schedule the appointments through Compass, said Chvala.

The telehealth machine can be integrated with a stethoscope, said Chvala. The physician controls a camera attached the monitor, moving it as needed to examine the patient.

A nurse will perform tasks the doctor can’t perform from a distance. The nurse will still collect the vital statistics and medical history, said Chvala, and the physicians will have access to the hospital’s records.

“It’s very interactive,” Chvala said.

The new telehealth service is Compass’s way of increasing access to specialists, said Chvala. Hospitals nationwide are facing physician shortages, she said. It’s hard to find specialists to come to Compass to see patients.

“That’s one of the reasons we had to switch cardiology,” said Chvala. UnityPoint Health didn’t have a cardiologist to see Compass patients, so Compass had to partner with Mercy Medical Center.

The telehealth service at Compass will begin Feb. 4.