Telemedicine Research Program

Patients from around West Virginia who have received orthopaedic treatment at Ruby Memorial Hospital often have difficulty traveling back to their surgeon’s office for follow-up care. The mission of this program is to test an innovative method for reaching those patients who live in rural, distant, or medically underserved areas of the state.Telemedicine provides them with care in a setting that is closer to their homes via computers and cameras. The patient goes to a nearby medical center where local health care providers can interact online with Ruby’s surgeons to decide on the patient’s continuing care.

Telemedicine shows promise as a way to improve the lives of those who live in medically underserved regions. The areas we are currently focusing on are traumatic injury and total hip and total knee replacement. This study will compare the outcomes of patients who receive telemedicine care and the outcomes of those who travel back to the surgeon’s office.