TSG Issue Tracking System Info Paper Posted: 12/22/97 INFORMATION PAPER TELEMEDICINE PROLIFERATION

Date: October 1997

Telemedicine is the use of technology to leverage and extend health care services over distance. It encompasses the potential use of a wide range of technologies such as the internet, intranet, PCs, satellites, video conferencing and telephones. Some are available for use now, are affordable, and can be implemented to operate reliably with personnel resources that can be made available to operational units. Other technologies are currently achievable, but are not affordable to procure or operate. And finally, some technologies can be envisioned or partially demonstrated but are not currently feasible to build or purchase.

Telemedicine has been used to support several deployments. It is also being put to operational use in several of our fixed facilities. In many locations, however, because of cost, lack of familiarity or other factors, telemedicine has not come into day-to-day use.

An overall corporate strategy for fielding this technology is being developed by a newly chartered AMEDD Technology Insertion General Officer Steering Committee (GOSC) and a supporting Adjunct Committee. MG Peake has the lead for this initiative with the Center for Health Education and Studies (CHES) of the AMEDD Center & School facilitating the process. The first GOSC meeting is scheduled for 20 Oct 97, and a plan for implementation is targeted to be completed by 1st Quarter, FY 98. The GOSC members are: MG Peake, BG Zajtchuk, BG Griffin, BG Parker. The Adjunct Committee will support the GOSC in the areas of recommending policy formation and goal setting, identifying candidate technologies, requirements determination and the drafting agendas for future GOSC meetings.

Other Telemedicine Activites:

Two telemedicine medical detachments were recognized during the just concluded TAA05 meetings. These units were apportioned to FORSCOM and Korea.

The U.S.Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has developed a Triservice Science and Technology Plan that includes various telemedicine R&D initiatives. This plan was approved by the Armed Services Biomedical Research Evaluation and Management Committee on 22 Sept 97 and will be presented by BG Zajtchuk to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering at the Pentagon on 9 Oct 97. The plan provides the framework for further refinement of future research initiatives.

COL Anthony (Sid) Sado, an AMEDD critical care physician who has just completed an advanced academic degree in Medical Informatics, has been named the AMEDD representative to the Triservice Telemedicine Project Office (TPO) which operates as an element of the Clinical Business Area under the executive agency of the Navy.

The Army?s telemedicine requirements to the deployable medical record are being collected by the MHSS Theater Medical Information Program (TMIP). After consolidation, TMIP will forward these requirements to the GO level Theater Functional Steering Committee.

Ongoing telemedicine efforts in Bosnia will continue for FY98. The USAREUR Comptroller has provided $900K to support this mission. The AMEDD is pursuing FY98 support of the communication requirements from the Signal community.


COL David Schroeder, DASG-IMO, 681-8286

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