The Theater Telemedicine Prototype Project: multimedia e-mail in the Pacific

The Theater Telemedicine Prototype Project (T2P2) initiated by the Pacific Medical Network (PACMEDNET) focuses on providing support for telemedicine clinical workflow in the Pacific. This region is characterized by many remote field sites having limited bandwidth requiring consults at a limited number of regional centers such as Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC). This client-server telemedicine system utilizes commercial and government software that extends the ability of Pacific medical providers to use the clinical expertise at TAMC. The system should provide the ability to gather consultation information from existing systems and send consults to a tertiary facility. The intent of this system is to effectively utilize Internet protocols and commercial software to improve a providers access to information regardless of the patient´s location in the Pacific. This project contributes significant methodology for further development efforts in telemedicine deployment, specifically in the utilization of existing legacy systems in populating clinical formats and electronic patient records. Military significance of this application can be applied across DoD military facilities and forward isolated units for remote teleconsultation.