MUSC says it saw increases in kids admitted for COVID-19 in August and September | Credit: MUSC Facebook
Source: Charleston City Paper
The South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA), headquartered at the MUSC Health Center for Telehealth, one of only two National Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the country, today announced the launch of an initiative to expand access to specialist care to underserved areas.
The new initiative, South Carolina eConsult, will use SCTA partner ReferWell’s digital platform to allow S.C. health providers and local practices to consult with experts in various specialties to better outline a patient’s care, regardless of the patient’s typical access.
“This South Carolina eConsult initiative represents a huge opportunity for patients in rural and underserved areas of South Carolina to receive care guidance from top specialists whom they would otherwise not be able to see in person, and to access specialist-informed care without the need to travel far or incur extra bills,” said Dr. James McElligott, SCTA advisory council co-chair.
Virtual consults will be available in neurology, endocrinology, rheumatology, hematology and clinical genetics in the initial phase of the program. Future plans include adding other specialties and partnering with health systems across the state.
SCTA is making the ReferWell platform available to South Carolina providers free of charge. This move, SCTA said in a press release, will improve outcomes, optimize the patient experience, increase efficiency and reduce total cost of care.
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