Doctors working in remote areas of the province say there have been some minor glitches from time to time, but the technology makes them less isolated. Now I just send their X-rays to the radiologist on call in Antigonish, and wait for their opinion. It saves my patients a lot of uncomfortable travel. Tish Campbell is the TeleHealth Network's program director. She said the technology has been used in 10 different specialties.
Psychiatry is one of the most successful applications so far.
Questions around issues of confidentiality and liability are largely unanswered, however. The Canadian Medical Protective Association recently warned physicians that liability issues with telemedicine remain untested. Campbell acknowledged the liability issues will need more work. This is something we've been researching and will be releasing soon. More easily embraced is the use of the TeleHealth Network as a CME tool.