Sickle cell disease telemedicine network for rural outreach

The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Sickle Cell Center in Augusta, Georgia , USA, provides consultation and (in some cases) primary-care services to m ore than 1000 patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Three SCD telemedici ne clinic sites were established in rural areas of middle and southern Geor gia, based on clinical need; a fourth site had been proposed. Over a 36-mon th study period, 77 telemedicine SCD clinics were held. There was a mean of 6.1 (SD 2.5) encounters per clinic and 466 total encounters among 128 SCD patients. By using telemedicine, the productivity of the MCG adult sickle c ell clinic increased from 1413 to 1889 encounters a year, with an increase in rural outreach activity from 271 to 745 encounters a year. This was acco mplished with the addition of a single physician assistant during the last 12 months of the study period; otherwise provider staffing was unchanged. A formal cost-benefit analysis now needs to be carried out.