Teleconsulting Connects Island Patients to Doctors
The Vormsi general practitioner center is receiving medical teleconsulting equipment today, saving island residents the time and expenses it takes to travel to urban centers to get aid from medical specialists.
Since the end of last year, first aid teams on the small islands of Kihnu, Ruhnu and Vormsi have also been equipped with the portable teleconsulting devices, which have diagnostic capabilities for vitals readings such as blood pressure and electrocardiograms. In order to communicate with the local first response teams, professional ambulance units at the North Estonia Medical Center were equipped with iPads last year.
It cost the state a total of 250,000 euros to provide the equipment to the islands. The technology was developed in Estonia and was produced by Girf.
Andres Anier, a spokesman for the company, said: "This will make the family doctor's job more substantive and it will save the most important resource in medical practice – time. With the help of a specialist doctor, it is possible to speed up the diagnostic process,“ Anier said.