Telemedicine initiatives at NewYork–Presbyterian are reducing wait times during emergency hospital visits and enabling neurologists to reach stroke victims across the city more quickly, as described in a new paper. Writing in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine, key members of the NewYork–Presbyterian digital health team detail how the Emergency Department (ED) Express Care service at NewYork–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit (MSTU) are improving efficiency in patient care.

The ED Express Care program serves patients with minor ailments via videoconferencing, rather than traditional low acuity care. As of June 2017, approximately 2,800 patients have used this service, with wait times reduced by more than half compared to traditional ED visits. The paper also highlights the MSTU – a specialized emergency vehicle equipped with a CT scanner and wireless technology that communicates diagnostic information to stroke care experts. The MSTU, a collaboration between NewYork–Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center and the FDNY, has responded to 325 calls since its launch and has enabled responders to provide appropriate care faster.

The article is titled, “Telemedicine and its transformation of emergency care: a case study of one of the largest US integrated healthcare delivery systems.”