BC TeleSteth Overview
The tale of why and how BC implemented the
3M Littman electronic stethoscope for Telehealth
Valerie Ashworth / Trent Horwood
PHSA / VIHA
vashworth@phsa.ca / trent.horwood@viha.ca
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Solution Requirements
• Quest for the stethoscope driven out of an
Infoway funded TeleThoracic expansion
• The ideal solution had to
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Be interoperable between our 6 RHA’s
Provide clinically acceptable quality of sound
Provide live streaming of these sounds
Operate within known technical standards for security & privacy
Cause NO interference with other equipment
Be easy to use by clinicians
Come with a warranty and solid technical support
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Solution Selection Process
• A robust provincial procurement process was
used to select the product.
– Vendors treated equally
– Required to submit substantial documentation
– Product evaluation by RHA Telehealth and clinical
staff
• The 3M Littman product was the only product
in the end that met all the requirements.
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Solution Deployment
• A provincial purchase contract was put in
place. All RHA’s are able to place orders
against this.
– This enabled us to get better pricing through volume purchase.
– As part of an Infoway initiative, RHA’s were able to receive some
reimbursement for their spend.
• Vancouver Island Health Authority is leading
the way with implementation... (over to you,
Trent….)
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Solution Impact
• The addition of the Electronic Stethoscope to the
repertoire of Telehealth technologies has greatly
enhanced the assessment capabilities of clinicians
employing Telehealth in BC.
• Using the Electronic Stethoscope, Vancouver Island
Health Authority (VIHA) created a new Telecardiology
service, allowing cardiologists to assess clients with
heart failure in multiple communities around the
island.
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Solution Impact
• Benefits of the service are tracked using Client
Satisfaction Surveys, as well as key metrics such as
potential km travelled saved and green house gas
emissions prevented.
• In the first year of the Telecardiology service, over 70
consults were done, saving over 30,000 km of travel
and nearly 8,000 tonnes of green house gas
emissions, with many positive comments from
clients and clinicians
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Lessons Learned
• Addition of technology changes workflows...it affects
how clinicians do their day-to-day business
• Testing is not the be-all / end-all. Prepare for bumps
as the service expands and more people use it.
• And when problems arise...and they will…
– Have a robust Support Plan in place with:
• A single point of contact for clinicians
• An experienced team with varied expertise who know the contacts
for any given situation
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Road Map / Future Plans
• Two main enhancements are under
consideration:
– Access for patients / clinicians who are outside of
the RHA network
– Enabling store and forward functionality
• Can you say…. Privacy Impact Assessment???
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Questions?
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Contact info:
Trent Horwood, BN RN
Telehealth Nurse Leader
Vancouver Island Health Authority, Centre for Telehealth, IM/IT
trent.horwood@viha.ca
Valerie Ashworth
Program Manager, PHSA Telehealth
vashworth@phsa.ca
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