Holman (Oct 25/04) - New Telehealth services in Holman ensure patients get prompt and thorough treatment by specialists without ever leaving the community.Victoria Phillips, Inuvik regional Telehealth co-ordinator, said an electronic stethoscope and the service of dermatology were recently added to the Telehealth system in Holman.

"We did training with staff at the health centre to ensure they can access the services," Phillips said of her recent visit to the community.

The Telehealth system consists of a television, a computer, cameras and other medical devices, she explained.

Health care staff use the equipment to provide health education, present clinics, do foster parent planning and assist with emergency care.

The system can also provide visitations for family members in a hospital or group home in different communities without the need to travel long distances, she added.

With the addition of the dermatology service, Phillips said patients can have images transmitted to a specialist and receive a prompt diagnosis -- without the wait and the expense of travel.

"The patient is referred to the Telehealth system, the camera takes good, close-up pictures which are sent to a dermatologist and he gives the information back to the doctor," Phillips said.

"It's a big savings."

In an isolated community such as Holman, Phillips said the service is ideal because medical support is not always available quickly.

Other Telehealth services in Holman include psychiatry and psychology. In the last year, she said the usage of the Telehealth system in Holman has increased dramatically.

"It's been really good. We've gotten good responses from staff."

Phillips said part of the purpose for her visit to the community was to have an open house to show what the service can offer.

"We wanted to bring the public in and let them be aware it is there.

"Anything new that is technical, people tend to get afraid. I wanted to go and show them what it can do for them."

Phillips said it was especially good to have the students see the new equipment first-hand.

"They were so excited. They were listening to their own heart sounds, recording them and then I would play it back," she said of the electronic stethoscope.

"Part of this means they can see a specialist quicker than they would if they had to call down and be put on a waiting list," Phillips said.

"Here we have access to a specialist once a month over Telehealth."