Dosher Hospital using telemedicine in overnight patient care

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - It’s a 21st century take on bedside manner. Dosher Memorial Hospital is the latest local facility to use hi-tech telemedicine for patient care.

“We going to Eagle Telemedicine to handle all of our night admissions, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.," said Dr. Raymond Schmoke, Dosher’s hospitalist. “This a growing trend you already see in larger hospitals around the country. Dosher’s fortunate enough to now have the service as well."

Eagle Telemedicine will provide a physician, electronically, overnight, to conduct examinations in the hospital’s 25-bed patient care unit.

Dr. Jayne Lee is the chief medical officer for Eagle Telemedicine and joined Schmoke in a patient care room from her computer in Paris on Monday for show and tell purposes.

“When I started 10 years ago, the technology was great," Lee said. “In terms of the stethoscope quality, the camera quality, it’s almost like the patient doesn’t feel like I’m on the computer. It’s almost like the technology has gotten so advanced the patient feels like I’m right next to him or her."

A Dosher nurse will be on staff to help with the exam.

Telemedicine services will go online Dec. 12.

This latest announcement is not the first time telemedicine has been used at Dosher. There is a more patient specific program that’s focused on psychiatric health in the hospital’s emergency department.

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