International Medical Collaboration Facilitated by State-of-the-art Technology at Trinity Centre for Health Sciences

Posted on: 03 December 2009

With the aid of state-of-the-art telesynergy technology, clinicians and researchers from Trinity College Dublin, St James’s Hospital, Dublin , Johns Hopkins University , USA and Makerere University in Uganda   hosted an interactive case conference to discuss complex cases in infectious diseases and international health recently.  The technology which is housed in the Telesynergy unit at the Trinity Centre for Health Sciences in St James’s Hospital is one of three such units in the Republic of Ireland and allows regional, national and international expertise to be pooled into a single easy-to- access resource, effectively removing the geographical barriers that prevent  sharing of expert opinion and direct collaboration between clinical and research professionals.   The technology is facilitated by the US National Institutes for Health satellite.

In this instance the technology enabled consideration of the diagnosis and management of patients presenting to the Infectious Disease Services of each institution. The conference was chaired by Dr John Bartlett of   Johns Hopkins University who is a leading infectious disease specialist worldwide.  Medical personnel had an opportunity to seek expert opinion and discuss cases that are not endemic in their own geographic area, and which required management within widely differing health systems and realities.   The  conference was held in a ‘grand rounds’ format where  medical problems and treatment of a patient is presented to an assembled audience of doctors  and medical students.

Dr Ceppie Merry,  Senior Lecturer in Global health at TCD, currently based at Makerere in collaboration with Dr Tom Quinn at Johns   Hopkins University played a critical role in developing this crucial link. “This innovative use of technology emphasises the potential global nature of the decision making process in international health.  Patients discussed at this conference have had the benefit of a wealth of experience brought to bear on decisions relating to their care,”  Dr Merry explained.

Professor Dermot Kelleher, Head of the School of Medicine , expressed delight at the School’s increased capability to collaborate with colleagues from leading institutions across the world, particularly in the areas of global health and infectious diseases. He cited it as a very practical example of how Higher Education Institutions could be involved in the day to day delivery of care in resource poor settings.   Professor of Infectious Diseases,  Colm Bergin from  the division of infectious diseases at the St James’s Hospital stressed that the ‘ grand rounds’ format hugely enhanced the dissemination of experience in dealing with very complex problems and provided a memorable discussion forum for students and faculty alike.

It is now intended that there will be a series of such interactive case conferences which will help to strengthen the institutional bonds between the three institutions for the benefit of patients and staff at all sites.