Dana P. Giarrizzi: Telemedicine is a new frontier for the hospitalist

Question: Are there some things that you can’t or shouldn’t do with this technology?

Dr. Giarrizzi: Obviously we can’t do procedures as a telehospitalist. And there are some elements of the physical exam where you are relying on other people to help. So there’s a limitation to it. But otherwise, it’s really just a vehicle. Instead of it being an airplane to get you to the hospital, it’s a button.

Question: You work closely with the nurses and other hospital staff. What is the interaction like remotely?

Dr. Giarrizzi: It’s really just like we’re there in person in the sense that you’re still building trust and understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re all such different personalities. My understanding of working with a nurse, or a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant may be a little different from someone else’s. Maybe I’m more or less comfortable with certain things. It’s really just that trust. We really feel like we’re a team and we’re just an adjunct to the group that we’re working with. It’s just that there’s more relationship building over the computer instead of eating lunch together in the lounge.

Question: In terms of technology, do we have all the tools we need to do telemedicine well?

Dr. Giarrizzi: Electronic medical records are going to change this in a way that is really going to be outstanding. For me, right now a lot of the trouble would be solved if the various EMRs would either talk to each other or allow single sign-on. That is an area where the technology is limited. The efficiency of the telehospitalist is only going to be as good as the EMR. We can do an admission very rapidly when the EMR is helpful. But some places are very slow.

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