OhioHealth Telemedicine Program Drives Better Outcomes

By Neal Learner, Contributing Writer

Transporting patients by medevac helicopter can save lives when moments count, but it’s not always necessary. Telemedicine allows specialists to provide immediate and effective care for patients in remote locations who may otherwise have required an airlift.

A telemedicine program operated by the OhioHealth hospital network and Time Warner Cable Business Class has improved health outcomes for thousands of Ohioans while saving the large health system significant amounts of money, particularly in the drastic reduction in the number of hospital transfers. OhioHealth focuses its telemedicine program primarily on stroke victims, but plans are in the works to expand to behavioral health, cardiology, and others.