December 17, 1999

HUGHSON - Standing before a computer monitor in the examining room at the Hughson Medical Office, 12-year-old Billy Bates could see inside his own ear. So could his local physician, standing beside him. So could his specialist - in Sacramento.

On Tuesday, Bates became the first patient to take advantage of the Hughson Medical Office's new telemedicine technology. The physicians discussed Bates' chronic ear infections face to face, using exam cameras mounted on each computer, special scopes and high-speed data lines.

Designed by Blue Cross of California to increase rural residents' access to medical specialists in urban areas, the telemedicine program links patients and primary care physicians in rural areas with specialists in urban areas.

"I think it's going to be a huge benefit for Hughson," said Hughson's Dr. David Narita, following Bates' exam. "We can do our patients' consultations here in our office, but when we need to refer them to a specialist, our patients will simply have more access. Especially in some fields like rheumatology and neurology, patients would sometimes have to wait up to three months to see a specialist because there are so few in Modesto. Now we just have to find an available specialist at one of the hub sites. It's faster and they won't have to drive all the way to Sacramento or San Francisco to meet with the specialist they need."

There are currently 30 telemedicine sites operating throughout the state. From Del Norte on California's northern coast, down to Desert Hot Springs, the sites are all connected to six Specialists Hubs, including one at UC Davis in Sacramento, where Dr. Tom Nesbitt sat before a monitor examining Bates' ears Tuesday.

"There are some abnormalities in your ear drum, Billy," Nesbitt said. "Dr Narita, I recommend some more tests and that we watch the progression of those depressions closely. I might recommend that a tube be placed in the ear if it doesn't stabilize. It's a very minor surgery. But for now lets do those tests and just keep an eye on it."

Bates and his grandmother, Carol Wright, listened attentively to the recommendations. Bates said the computerized exam was "pretty cool." His grandmother thought so too.

"I was very impressed and really surprised that a doctor in Sacramento could see something we weren't even aware of, "Wright said. "I think this is pretty fantastic."

Another advantage of the telemedicine appointments, according to Dr. Narita, is that primary care physicians get to sit in on their patients' exams with specialists.

"I learned something new today myself, sitting in on that appointment," Narita said afterward. "Maybe I should be doing more of these more sensitive hearing tests. But the biggest advantage to sitting in on the exam is that we can share what we know with the specialists and ultimately provide more attentive care."

Funded through a $1.8 million Rural Health Demonstration Project award Blue Cross of California received last October, the telemedicine unit was made possible in conjunction with the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency.

Used by permission of the Turlock Journal.