Applying Telehealth to Natural Disasters

This article discusses telehealth use during past emergencies and disasters, including blizzard and loss of power by Massachusetts General Hospital in 2014 (wound imaging for follow-up of post-operative patients and general maintenance of appointments for patients with chronic illness), and Hurricane Ike in 2008 (wound imaging and video messaging for bites from bees, fire ants, or mosquitoes, wounds or rashes, and skin infections from contaminated floodwaters). It also reviews how telehealth can help with chronic disease monitoring and prescription refills following mass evacuations, and how it could support 911 triage and ambulance deployment.