TELEMEDICINE

What is ‘MY Health-e-Schools’?
It is a new program designed to make accessing health care services easier for parents of school-age children through telemedicine. Doctors stay in their offices and students stay in school, yet they're able to see each other.

The technology is based on internet videoconferencing and using specially equipped stethoscopes and camera so a health care provider can examine a student, listen to his or her heart and lungs, look into ears, eyes, nose and throat. Doctors would be able to assess the effectiveness of a newly prescribed asthma medication or determine if a child with a stomach ache needs to be seen urgently in the emergency room or could return to class.
The intent is to promote healthier and happier students and ultimately improve attendance and graduation rates.

What purpose does this serve?
Using telemedicine to connect patients to quality health care providers is a proven way to increase access to health services; however, the idea of a school-based telemedicine program is unique. MY Health-e-Schools will let school nurses connect ill students with health care providers.

The program will increase classroom attendance for students and decrease time spent away from work for the parent or care giver of the student. For more information on this program being supported by Graham Children’s Health Services of Toe River, please visit their website at www.myhealtheschools.org