June 23, 2000

History museums are home to artifacts, works of art and documents that show visitors what life was like during earlier times. Ironically, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington now shows visitors a look at the future as well. One of the most cutting-edge and continually advancing medical programs — Partners Telemedicine —has been added to the museum's permanent research collection on Information Technology. In addition, Partners Telemedicine was named a finalist for a Computerworld Smithsonian Award.

Nominated in the Medicine category by William H. Gates, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., Partners Telemedicine is part of a collection that includes more than 440 of the year's most innovative applications of technology from 38 states and 21 countries. Partners Telemedicine was named one of five finalists in the Medicine category for the Computerworld Smithsonian Award. Members of Partners Telemedicine were honored at a ceremony June 5 at the National Building Museum in Washington.

"We see advanced communication technologies as tools to bring patients closer to their caregivers," says Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, corporate director of Partners Telemedicine. "What sets us apart from other health care Internet services is that a doctor is involved in every interaction, and patients are telling us they love it."

The MGH pioneered telemedicine more than 30 years ago at Logan Airport, in a trial to determine if satisfactory diagnosis and treatment could be provided at a distance. Since then, Telemedicine has expanded to the Partners HealthCare System. Partners Telemedicine has changed the way primary care physicians can interact with specialists both within an urban hospital network and throughout the world.

For instance, Partners Telemedicine developed a remote consultation service that has provided second opinions for more than 2,000 patients in 30 countries. Also, new uses of advanced communications have delivered care to patients in their homes, trauma centers and offices, and clinics of primary care physicians.

With videoconferencing, neurologists at the MGH have consulted with physicians treating stroke patients at Martha's Vineyard Hospital and North Shore Medical Center. The consultations are done in "real time," with MGH physicians talking to patients and observing their movements through a video camera to make a diagnosis and recommend treatment to local physicians.

For more information, call Kvedar at 6-4447 or Joseph Ternullo at 6-4207.