Annc: This ViewFinder episode is supported by UC Davis Health where doctors, nurses and researchers share a passion for advancing health.

Learn more about their latest medical innovations at health.ucdavis.edu.

♪♪ SIMOES: PERHAPS AT NO OTHER TIME IN HISTORY HAS SEEKING HEALTHCARE SO SUDDENLY, AND SO ENORMOUSLY CHANGED ... TELEHEALTH HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD TAKE OFF...

IN THE FUTURE.

Dr. Lee: But we just didn't know that the future would come as quickly as it came.

And as the volumes that we saw... SIMOES: THEN...THE COVID PANDEMIC CHANGED EVERYTHING.

KAISER PERMANENTE REPORTED A THREE-THOUSAND PERCENT INCREASE IN VIRTUAL VISITS ... AT U-CDAVIS HEALTH, ENTIRE CLINICS WERE CONVERTED ONLINE IN A MATTER OF DAYS.

DOCTORS HAD TO FIND NEW WAYS OF GATHERING DATA AND KEEPING TABS ON THEIR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE... AND PSYCHIATRISTS FACED AN UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY.

Dr. Das: I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before.

SIMOES: WHILE VIRTUAL VISITS AND REMOTE HEALTH OPTIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, MOST WILL AGREE...

IT TOOK THIS PANDEMIC TO MAKE THEM MAINSTREAM.

Dr. Yellowlees: I, I mean, I think there's no question.

It's been the tipping point for telemedicine.

SIMOES: WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION...

WHEN IT COMES TO SEEKING HEALTH CARE ... WHAT WILL COME NEXT?

Karsten: The ICU room or the general ward room of the future will be your bedroom.

And it really is possible.

Dr. Yellowlees: We are going to change the way we practice medicine and it's going to be more convenient for patients.

SIMOES: TELE-HEALTH IS DEFINED AS ANY KIND OF HEALTH SERVICES DONE REMOTELY, WHILE TELE-MEDICINE SPECIFICALLY MEANS REMOTELY-PROVIDED CLINICAL CARE.

BOTH ARE NOW AS MUCH A PART OF OUR LIVES AS THE SMART PHONES THAT ENABLE IT.

BUT TELEHEALTH AS A CONCEPT AND PRACTICE... IS NOTHING NEW.

Dr. Yellowlees: So Angel you and your team did just an amazing job switching the clinic over from 98 percent sort of in person to 100 percent virtual in three days.

SIMOES: PETER YELLOWLEES, CHIEF WELLNESS OFFICER AND PSYCHIATRIST AT U-C DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER, USED A PRIMITIVE FORM OF TELEHEALTH IN THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK THREE DECADES AGO.

HERE IN THE U-S, TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SIXTY YEARS.

Dr. Yellowlees: It started off at the University of Nebraska in fact, and was funded a lot by NASA.

In the early years um, trying to learn how to interact and communicate with potential astronauts and practicing on Indian health reservations... SIMOES: U-C DAVIS HAS ALSO BEEN A LONGTIME LEADER WHEN IT COMES TO TELEHEALTH...

LAUNCHING THE FOUR -STORY CENTER FOR HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY IN 1992, WHERE MEDICAL STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO USE THE VERY LATEST TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DELIVERING REMOTE CARE.

Medical student: "“Patrick has been having about 5-6 weeks a cough ever since the smoke started from the wildfires"” Dr. Marcin: No matter if you'’re a physican, a nurse, a therapist, whatever it is, we believe that telehealth is going to be a part of the way that you practice in the future without question.

SIMOES: THE CENTER FOR HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSES EXPERTS FROM MORE THAN TWO DOZEN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

AND THEY COLLABORATE WITH MORE THAN 80 HOSPITALS AND CLINICS HELPING TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES AND MAKE SURE THEIR EXPERTS ARE TRAINED ON THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY.

Dr.: Upon delivery we did need to provide a ... for about a minute and a half.

SIMOES: THIS IS A MOCK EMERGENCY DRILL AT LODI MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, WHERE MEDICAL STAFF ARE FINE TUNING SKILLS, USING A REMOTE VIDEO SYSTEM TO CONNECT WITH UC DAVIS NEONATAL EXPERTS.

IT ALLOWS BABIES WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE TRANSFERRED TO SACRAMENTO, TO STAY CLOSER TO THEIR FAMILIES IN LODI.

Dr. Hoffman: I started this project with just 6 cameras in a small portion of our NICU and now all families have access to it.

SIMOES: NEONATOLOGIST KRISTIN HOFFMAN PIONEERED A PROGRAM CALLED '‘FAMILY LINK'’ BACK IN 2014 THAT ALLOWS PARENTS WHOSE BABIES ARE IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FOR WEEKS, OR EVEN MONTHS, TO VIEW THEIR NEWBORN FROM ANYWHERE.

NOW ALL 49 BEDS IN THE NICU ARE EQUIPPED WITH WEB CAMS.

Dr. Hoffman: There'’s a login through the family link web page.

The nurse will turn on her end of the camera, the family will click on their link, enter their secure information and boom...

They'’re connected!

SIMOES: AS FOR YELLOWLEES ... DOCTORS AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE REACHED OUT TO HIM TO LEARN HOW TO BETTER SERVE PATIENTS WITHOUT SEEING THEM IN PERSON.

Dr. Yellowlees: The biggest single block to doing telemedicine concults has been physicians, they have quite genuinely and reasonably thought that the in-person consult is the gold standard.

SIMOES: AS WE ALL LEARNED - QUITE QUICKLY - THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF DOING THINGS, EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO SEEING YOUR DOCTOR.

DOCTOR YELLOWLEES HAS LONG BELIEVED THAT THE DAY WOULD COME WHEN TELEHEALTH WOULD TAKE CENTER STAGE.

Dr. Yellowlees: We've always known that some sort of big disaster would be a time when telemedicine might actually come into its own.

Um, having said that it's been a real surprise that it's been so dramatic with COVID.

SIMOES: TODAY'’S TELEHEALTH IS MORE THAN JUST A VIRTUAL VISIT IT'’S THE DEVICE THAT TRACKS YOUR STEPS ...

THE APP THAT LOGS YOUR MEALS... AND THE WATCH THAT MONITORS YOUR HEARTRATE.

ALL EXAMPLES OF THE MANY SELF-MONITORING DEVICES THAT BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR YEARS.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, MANY OF THESE DEVICES ACHIEVED AN EVEN GREATER PURPOSE... FOR DOCTORS NEEDING TO KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR PATIENTS'’ HEALTH, BUT UNABLE TO DO IT IN PERSON.

Dr. Lee: ...Monitoring blood pressure, monitoring blood sugar, uh, weight scales.

Things that are Bluetooth connected to their, to their, to their iPhones and their other devices.

Karsten: A solution like the bio sticker looks just like a Bandaid.

Yet that Bandaid is capturing about seven different, uh, pieces of information continuously from your body.

SIMOES: PHILIPS - THE COMPANY KNOWN FOR PIONEERING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTH TECHOLOGY WITH SOME CUTTING-EDGE PROFESSIONAL AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

PRODUCTS THAT CAN SEND A PATIENT'’S DATA DIRECTLY TO THEIR DOCTOR.

Karsten: And that's transmitting back and allowing physicians to really use technology, artificial intelligence, different forms of software to look and see how you're doing.

SIMOES: IT'’S INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP A DOCTOR UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR PATIENT'’S DAILY ACTIVITIES IMPACT THEIR HEALTH... AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE BETTER ABLE TO IMPROVE IT.

Dr. Hays: Our patients are immunosuppressed.

They have, they have lung transplants ... SIMOES: DOCTOR STEVEN HAYS IS A PULMONOLOGIST AT UCSF MEDICAL CENTER.

Dr. Hays: We wanted to, as much as we could keep them in the safety of their homes without exposing them unnecessarily to COVID.

SIMOES: AT THE SAME TIME, THE PANDEMIC FORCED THE CLOSURE OF THE LABS AT UCSF THAT TEST PULMONARY FUNCTIONING...

THE PRIMARY MEANS OF MEASURING LUNG HEALTH FOR SOME VERY HIGH -RISK PATIENTS WHO NEED TO BE MONITORED DAILY.

Dr. Hays: And we, um, decided we really needed to get these homes, spirometers these devices for patients to self-monitor into their hands and into their homes.

SIMOES: HAYS HAD SOME OF HIS PATIENTS USE A SPIROMETER... AND HE COLLABORATED WITH THE UCSF CENTER FOR DIGITAL HEALTH INNOVATIONS TO DEVELOP A WAY FOR PATIENTS TO PROVIDE HIM DAILY WITH CRITICAL DATA, WITHOUT HAVING TO RISK THEIR HEALTH FURTHER BY VISITING A LAB IN PERSON.

THE ELECTRONIC MONITORING PROGRAM SENDS THE DATA TO HIS OFFICE, WHERE THEY CAN PROVIDE IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK... AS WELL AS A HEADS UP IF THERE'’S A PROBLEM.

Dr. Hays: The patients would get an alert that says, Hey, you've had this 10% decline.

We think something may be going on, please reach out to your nurse coordinator.

DEVICES LIKE THESE ARE PROVIDING DOCTORS AND PATIENTS WITH INFORMATION IN SURPRISING NEW WAYS: TOOTHBRUSHES THAT TRANSMIT BRUSHING PATTERNS TO YOUR DENTIST... ULTRASOUND TOOLS THAT LET YOU HEAR YOUR BABY'’S HEARTBEAT AT HOME... Karsten: Connected devices, uh, tools that are actually passively collecting data from you.

And also making sure that that data is available to clinicians constantly.

SIMOES: WHILE MANY OF THESE TOOLS HAVE LONG BEEN USED FOR SELF-MONITORING, MORE AND MORE DOCTORS ARE NOW SEEING THE VALUE IN USING THEM TO GATHER DATA WITHOUT HAVING THE PATIENT COME TO THEIR OFFICE.

AND THEY'’RE LEARNING...

SOMETIMES THE DATA IS EVEN MORE ACCURATE, WHEN GATHERED FROM THEIR HOMES.

Dr. Lee: We'’re just scratching the surface now in terms of utilizing those types of devices, to help us better understand what our patients are doing in their everyday lives.

Dr. Hays: This pandemic has convinced people that it's, it's doable.

And frankly, there's been a lot of innovation that are making that is making it easier.

SIMOES: INNOVATION THAT MANY ADMIT OFFERS MORE CONVENIENCE TO CONSUMERS... AND MAY BRING HEALTHCARE CLOSER TO MEETING MODERN-DAY NEEDS.

Karsten: I think bringing tele-health into the standard of care delivery today is exactly at the right time.

And COVID was a catalyst for it.

SIMOES: FOR UC DAVIS VASCULAR SURGEON MISTY HUMPHRIES, PROVIDING A REMOTE OPTION FOR PATIENTS, IS PERSONAL.

Dr. Humphries: So I started doing telemedicine because my grandmother lived in this tiny town in Texas, where they didn'’t have really advanced level care... ...but what she needed, they could only do in Dallas, which was two hours away.

SIMOES: AS A DOCTOR, THE MEMORY OF HER GRANDMOTHER'’S STRUGGLE TO GET CARE... DRIVES HER DESIRE TO REACH PATIENTS WHO HAVE A HARD TIME REACHING HER.

MANY LIVE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, OR THE FOOTHILLS, WHERE AN APPOINTMENT AT U-C DAVIS IS AN ALL-DAY COMMITMENT.

Dr. Humphries: So can I bring vascular surgery to places rather than having to make patients come to me?

Nat sound: "“Alright.

Were you going to change it to D5 pap or continue with DLR?

SIMOES: ONE OF THE WAYS TELEHEALTH CONTINUES TO BE USED ... ACTUALLY, THE WAY IT BEGAN... IS TO REACH THOSE PATIENTS IN REMOTE REGIONS WHO WOULDN'’T OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO SPECIALIZED CARE.

PATIENTS LIKE DOCTOR HUMPHRIES'’ GRANDMOTHER... AND, GARY SHERIDAN.

Misty: Mr. Sheridan, how are you?

Gary: I'm doing fantastic!

Misty: Good.

How's your leg been?

Have you had any pain or any problems with it?

Dr. Humphries: Gary is a patient who's had a lower extremity wounds for almost five years.

Misty: You ready to lay back?

Gary: Okay.

Ready?

Frankie: I'm going to flip the camera here.

Katrina: Okay.

Head here and feet here.

Up we go.

Dr. Humphries: This is a chronic problem for him.

He's going to have this for a long time.

When we first started seeing him, he had a probably about five different wounds.

SIMOES: GARY SHERIDAN LIVES IN LONE PINE, CALIFORNIA.

A RURAL TOWN ON THE EASTERN PEAKS OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS.

IT'’S A SMALL COMMUNITY WITHOUT A LOT OF RESOURCES, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOUTHERN INYO HOSPITAL.

THAT'’S WHERE GARY VISITS TWICE A WEEK TO GET CARE FROM HIS NURSES AND TO CONNECT WITH DOCTOR HUMPHRIES, WHO TUNES IN FROM HER OFFICE SIX HOURS AWAY, IN SACRAMENTO.

Dr. Humphries: There's this, this kind of idea that if you're going to see a surgeon, the surgeon needs to touch you and you do, there are very specific things that I need to do, um, to assess blood flow, but I've also found surrogates.

SIMOES: NURSES LIKE FRANKIE VIDRIO DO A LOT OF THE PHYSICAL WORK, PROVIDING DOCTOR HUMPHRIES WITH THE DATA SHE NEEDS TO TREAT GARY.

Frankie: So it is 3.2.

There's a bridge Misty: making it two wounds.

Now?

Frankie: we're making it two Misty: Okay.

SIMOES: CONSIDERING THERE ARE HUGE PARTS OF THE STATE THAT DON'’T HAVE COMPREHENSIVE VASCULAR CARE... AREAS WHERE DIABETES, STROKE AND ANYEURISMS ARE COMMON, BUT ACCESS TO SPECIALISTS IS NOT...

THIS KIND OF HEALTH CARE CAN BE LIFE CHANGING.

EVEN LIFE SAVING.

BUT MANY ADMIT, IT WASN'’T CONSIDERED AN OPTION FOR '‘GOOD'’ HEALTHCARE, UNTIL RECENTLY.

Dr. Humphries: I think people were afraid to do telemedicine.

They were afraid of who the doctor was on the other side.

SIMOES: PATIENTS LIKE GARY WILL TELL YOU, IT PROVIDES ACCESS TO HIGH LEVEL CARE HE WOULDN'’T OTHERWISE HAVE.

Gary: I'm the kind of guy, uh, to see people eyeball to eyeball, but, uh, this seemed to work pretty good.

SIMOES: FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS STARTING THEIR CAREER IN A SMALL, RURAL REGION, IT'’S A CHANCE TO LEARN FROM HIGHLY TRAINED SPECIALISTS... Frankie: I love to ask questions and get her input as well, so I can learn.

SIMOES: AND FOR HOSPITALS LIKE SOUTHERN INYO, IT'’S A WAY TO BETTER SERVE THEIR SMALL, RURAL COMMUNITY.

Spiers: We have trouble taking care of communities that are 30, 40, 50 miles from us, so the ability to have a doctor care for someone.

Who can't travel this far is awesome.

Misty: Okay.

See you Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Frankie: Stay out of trouble.

Gary: I'’ll try Frankie: Laughs SIMOES: IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC CAME ANOTHER KIND OF HEALTH CRISIS... A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

BUT TELE-THERAPY, AS IT'’S CALLED, IS OFFERING A SOLUTION THAT EXPERTS SAY IS EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE FOR SOME THAN TRADITIONAL THERAPY.

Dr. Das: So folks are feeling more anxious.

They're feeling more depressed.

This is multifactorial everything from isolation because they're not able to have the social outlets that, um, help them with their depressive symptoms in the past, all the way to, um, having anxiety related to the pandemic.

SIMOES: ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS NATIONALLY INCREASED FROM ABOUT 36 PERCENT TO ALMOST 42-PERCENT DURING THE PANDEMIC.

ALMOST HALF THE POPULATION HAS STRUGGLED IN SOME CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH.

THOSE WHO WERE ALREADY SEEKING THERAPY FOUND THEMSELVES FORCED TO DECIDE EITHER TO STOP TREATMENT THAT HELPS GET THEM THROUGH EACH DAY... OR MOVE IT ONLINE.

ARMY VETERAN ALLAN RENAZCO SAYS HE WAS ONE OF THOSE PATIENTS.

Renazco: I served two tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2006.

And I came home and was in society again.

And, uh, it was very difficult for me to recognize that I didn't fit in as well.

Um, so I had a lot of re uh, Integration type problems like, um, hypervigilance, a lot of guilt things that people didn't understand.

SIMOES: FOR RENAZCO, THERAPY MADE THE TRAUMA OF HIS TIME IN IRAQ MORE TOLERABLE.

HE HAS REGULARLY ATTENDED GROUPS AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING SINCE RETURNING HOME IN 2007, AND FOUND IT TO BE ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT REALLY HELPED HIM.

Renazco: It's hard to open up and to discuss the things that, uh, you know, that plague your mind.

SIMOES: WHEN THE PANDEMIC FORCED HIS THERAPY TO GO ONLINE, HE FOUND THE GROUP MEETINGS, IN PARTICULAR, CHANGED...

IN A WAY THAT MADE HIM AND OTHER VETERANS SHARE MORE OPENLY, AND FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.

HE SAYS WHAT MANY OTHERS WHO TURNED THEIR TREATMENT ONLINE, ARE SAYING.

Renazco: ...being in the safe spot of your home or wherever you want to be gives you that ability to feel like I can share, I can talk or I can just turn off the camera if I don'’t like it.

SIMOES: RENAZCO SAYS THE ONLINE GROUPS ARE A POWERFUL WAY FOR VETERANS TO CONNECT AND FIND OTHERS THEY RELATE TO, WHEN THEY MAY FEEL EMOTIONALLY ISOLATED IN SOCIETY.... AND PHYSICALLY ISOLATED BECAUSE OF INJURY, ILLNESS, OR A QUARANTNE.

Renazco: Feeling a connection with anybody has been hard, but like having my, my group, uh, to be able to connect with and to just feel like other people are hurting too, other people, you know, need some kind of connection as well.

It makes you feel not so alone.

Dr. Das: It's really that outpatient care that ends up with the most long-term and efficacious outcomes.

SIMOES: DOCTOR SMITA DAS, AN ADDICTION PSYCHIATRIST, SAYS THERE'’S ANOTHER GROUP THAT'’S FINDING SUCCESS SEEKING THERAPY FROM HOME... THOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE IN RESIDENTIAL DRUG OR ALCOHOL REHAB PROGRAM.

MOST OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE CLOSED DURING THE PANDEMIC... A PERIOD WHEN DOCTORS SAW A WAVE OF OVERDOSES...

BUT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT TREATING A PATIENT WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES, CAN BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TREATING THEM IN A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM.

Dr. Das: If somebody isn't using a substance while they're in rehab, when they come home and they're exposed to the stress of work and family, environment, um, It's creating that plan and engaging in treatment in that setting that's really important.

SIMOES: IT'’S ALSO LESS EXPENSIVE, AND HELPS PEOPLE MAINTAIN A MORE NORMAL LIFE, INCLUDING KEEPING THEIR JOBS.

AND SPEAKING OF JOBS... A RECENT SURVEY FOUND 40-PERCENT OF WORKERS ARE DEALING WITH ONE OR MORE ACUTE MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

A FACT THAT IS TURNING EMPLOYERS ON TO THE BENEFITS OF TELEHEALTH.

Dr. Das: I've been really impressed at how so many employers have really stepped up to the plate and recognize that this needs to be a priority.

SIMOES: DOCTOR DAS IS ALSO THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF PYSCHIATRY AT LYRA HEALTH, A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES SOME OF THE NATIONS LARGEST EMPLOYERS, LIKE EBAY, UBER AND GENENTECH WITH BENEFITS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.

Annc: "“At Lyra, we break down the barriers in mental health care.

"” SIMOES: THEY'’VE HELPED CUSTOMIZE MENTAL HEALTH OPTIONS SO EMPLOYEES HAVE GREATER ACCESS TO DIGITAL TOOLS, SELF-HELP, PHYSICIAN REFERALS, AND THERAPISTS FROM SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS WHO CAN BETTER RELATE TO THEM.

ALL OF THIS PROVIDES MORE OPTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE BESIDES THE TRADITIONAL VISIT TO A PSYCHIATRIST'’S OFFICE... SOMETHING SOME PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO DO.

Dr. Das: They may feel uncomfortable telling their family that they're seeking help for depression or anxiety.

By being able to just so easily connect to a therapist or a physician reduces a whole lot of that.

SIMOES: SEEKING TREATMENT FROM HOME... IS SOMETHING KAISER PERMANENTE DOCTOR ED LEE SAYS IS AN UNEXPECTED BENEFIT FOR HIS PATIENTS AS WELL.

Dr. Lee: Through tele-health I can actually get a glimpse of their lives at home.

I can see how clean or how organized their um, medicine cabinet is.

I can take a look at the video and see their technique in terms of using certain medications.

SIMOES: DOCTORS CAN ALSO IDENTIFY HAZARDS IN THE HOME... GIVE INSTRUCTION TO CAREGIVERS WHO CAN'’T MAKE IT TO AN IN-PERSON APPOINTMENT... AND REDUCE THE ANXIETY THAT COMES WITH TRAVELING TO AN APPOINTMENT, LOOKING FOR PARKING, AND SITTING IN A DOCTORS WAITING ROOM.

Dr. Lee: When they're in, the doctor's office, um, it's kinda like it's, it's our turf, but if they're at home, it's their turf and they can be much more comfortable in terms of, uh, opening up to the physician.

SIMOES: ALL THAT MEANS THE PHYSICIAN, EVEN THROUGH A SCREEN, CAN GET A BETTER GRASP ON HOW THE PATIENT REALLY FEELS, AND A BETTER IDEA OF HOW TO HELP THEM.

THIS IS DOCTOR LUCIAN MAIDAN ... A NEUROLOGIST WITH MERCY MEDICAL GROUP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, HOME TO THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER IN THE REGION.

AND THIS... IS A STROKE ROBOT... A TELE-HEALTH TOOL THAT NEUROLOGISTS AT MERCY USE TO QUICKLY EVALUATE AND DETERMINE TREATMENT FOR A STROKE PATIENT WHO MAY BE MILES AWAY, AT A HOSPITAL E-R THAT DOESN'’T HAVE SUCH ADVANCED SERVICES.

FOR THESE PATIENTS, THE RIGHT RESPONSE CAN PROTECT PRECIOUS BRAIN TISSUE IN THE MOMENTS FOLLOWING A STROKE.

THE WRONG RESPONSE COULD BE FATAL.

Dr. Maidan: We need to move fast, to make the critical decisions to try to save lives and try to save the patient.

SIMOES: THE ROBOT ALLOWS EXPERTS TO LOOK AT IMAGES OF BLOOD VESSELS IN THE NECK AND HEAD TO DETERMINE IF THE PATIENT IS STABLE ENOUGH TO TRANSPORT TO A COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER, OR IF THEY NEED AN IMMEDIATE DOSE OF THE LIFESAVING, BLOOD CLOT-BUSTING DRUG T-P-A.

ROBOTS ARE ALSO CRITICAL DURING RECOVERY.

Dr. Maidan: Any neurologists change or any change in their vitals or the exam of the patient, you are activated in, you can immediately be there... SIMOES: ... AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF TELEHEALTH TODAY.

DOCTORS AS WELL AS SPECIALISTS IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS CAN BE BY A PATIENT'’S SIDE DURING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

WHEN THOSE MINUTES REALLY DO COUNT.

DOCTOR MAIDAN BELIEVES IN A FEW YEARS, LIFESAVING PROCEDURES, EVEN SURGERIES, DONE REMOTELY WITH ROBOTS, WILL BE NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, THEY'’LL BE CONSIDERED PART OF MAINSTREAM MEDICINE.

Dr. Maidan: If anything good came out of the pandemic was the fact that telemedicine is accepted by the society.

It is not considered a second-tier kind of interaction.

SIMOES: CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE LONG BEEN THE PRIMARY WAY RESEARCHERS FIND OUT IF A NEW MEDICAL TREATMENT IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE.

THEY'’RE THE WAY WE GET NEW DRUGS TO MARKET... AND FIND THERAPIES AND TREATMENTS FOR PREVENTION AND CURES FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT AILMENTS.

BUT AN ESTIMATED 80-PERCENT OF NON-COVID CLINICAL TRIALS WERE STOPPED OR INTERRUPTED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING A PROGRAM AT KAISER PERMANENTE AIMED AT PROVIDING BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH VALUABLE TOOLS FOR LIFE AFTER CANCER TREATMENT.

Dr. Nagle: We had to immediately transition with the shelter in place in order to being completely virtual.

SIMOES: KAISER DOCTOR BRANDY NAGLE IS TRAINED IN LIFESTYLE MEDICINE, WHICH HELPS PATIENTS NAVIGATE THROUGH BEHAVIOR CHANGES THAT ARE SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO REGAIN STRENGTH AND REMAIN HEALTHY AFTER A MEDICAL ISSUE... LIKE CANCER.

THE RESILIENCY AFTER CANCER, OR '‘RACE'’ PROGRAM IS A YEAR-LONG CLINICAL TRIAL REQUIRING PARTICIPANTS TO TAKE PART IN ONE-ON-ONE COACHING, GROUP SESSIONS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, GIVING THEM CONTINUED SUPPORT AFTER THEIR CANCER TREATMENT AS WELL AS CONNECTION WITH OTHER SURVIVORS.

Dr. Nagle: There have been many large studies that have shown the benefit to lifestyle changes and intervention.

SIMOES: BUT THE CHANGE FROM AN IN-PERSON PROGRAM, TO A VIRTUAL ONE WAS SOMETHING NOT ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXCITED ABOUT.

Wenger: So there's those of us that weren't raised with technology that are kind of a little bit, you know, stand off from it.

SIMOES: MARIE WENGER WAS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS.

DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN 2016, SHE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING HOW TO EAT PLANT-BASED, CONNECTING WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN IN HER SHOES, AND BUILDING NEW, HEALTHY SKILLS FOR SURVIVAL AFTER CANCER.

Wenger: It was a year of them coaching us and helping us along and, um, showing us kind of pointing us on the path.

So it was the perfect opportunity.

SIMOES: THE TRIAL INCORPORATED A TECH 101 COURSE, AND ADAPTED THE WAY THEY TRACK METRICS, LAB RESULTS AND OTHER DATA.

THE OUTCOME?

PARTICIPANTS SAY THE GROUPS BECAME MORE COHESIVE.

THE WEEKLY MEETINGS, MORE PERSONAL AND MORE VALUABLE TO PARTCIPANTS, LIKE MARIE.

Wenger: My group was very open and sometimes we had some difficult discussions.

Some was about, you know, the, the breast cancer itself, and people were very sharing about, um, their, their experiences and what they're going through still.

Wenger: Our virtual format has now opened up the door to have conversations between primary doctors and their specialists with the patient and maybe even their extended family members, all in a virtual room together.

Wenger: I think this has shown us that it can be really beneficial.

So, I'm more open to it.

I don't mind having a medical video conference with my doctors at all.

SIMOES: AS FOR THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE?

MANY DOCTORS SAY IT'’S VERY PROMISING.

THEY SEE A FUTURE THAT'’S MORE CONVENIENT.... Dr. Yellowlees: So the patients will have a choice, whether they want to come and see us in person or online.

SIMOES: TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS FOR A FASTER RESPONSE TIME... Dr. Maidan: You can immediately see the patient and can make the decisions that are critical, uh, in the matter of minutes.

SIMOES: AND WAYS FOR PATIENTS TO FIND RELIEF WITHOUT THE FEAR OF STIGMA.

Dr. Das: In terms of impact I think this is a game changer for mental health.

Renazco: Having it, just flip on the camera and you'’re there.

I think that'’ll help a lot of people to get over the anxiety of going to seek help.

Dr. Humphries: If it goes off at noon, that could be Gary'’s signal that he'’s not supposed to be at Subway anymore SIMOES: IT COULD ALSO HELP DOCTORS FINE TUNE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED IN THE PAST.

Dr. Humphries: Can you build a relationship through a computer screen and with somebody you don't know?

I think you can, but I do think it takes a special effort.

SIMOES: WILL TELEHEALTH EVER REPLACE THE IN-PERSON VISIT?

MOST AGREE ...

PROBABLY NOT.

Dr. Hays: There'’s no doubt that we can'’t do everything virtually.

SIMOES: BUT IT WILL INTRODUCE SOME NEW WAYS OF MONITORING HEALTH THAT BENEFIT DOCTORS AND PATIENTS.

Karsten: And at the end of the day, we're going to be able to make decisions about the care we receive to improve the outcomes that we want.

SIMOES: AND MANY SAY, IT COULDN'’T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME.

Dr. Yellowlees: Now we'’ve been lucky because at the same time COVID came along we'’ve got the Gen Z and millennial populations who are used to living their social lives like this, used to being on video and using all sorts of other media to interact.

SIMOES: MANY IN THE MEDICAL WORLD BELIEVE A CRISIS THAT FORCED US TO TURN ONLINE FOR HEALTH CARE... MIGHT JUST BE THE IMPETUS FOR AN EASIER, FASTER, MORE CONVENIENT WAY OF SEEKING IT AND COULD, IN THE LONG RUN, MAKE US A HEALTHIER SOCIETY.

OFFERING A DIFFERENT, BUT NO LESS BENEFICIAL, KIND OF CARE AND COMFORT Gary: You're all so jiggly.

Frankie: Thanks Gary.

COMPARED TO THAT TRADITIONAL VISIT TO THE DOCTOR'’S OFFICE YOU'’VE ALWAYS KNOWN.

Dr. Humphries: If you knew you had the ability to see your cardiologist and check in about where's your blood pressure, you know, have you been taking your medications?

Are you decreasing your stress?

If you had that ability?

I think that it would really improve our care.

Dr. Hays: It's really given some power back to the patients to figure out when they need to come in, as opposed to relying on somewhat of an arbitrary schedule that we've set up kind of for our health systems convenience.

And maybe because we didn't have a better system.

Dr. Lee: The way that we practice medicine in the past, um, has been changed forever.

With that said, there's always going to be a need for physicians to be face-to-face with the patient in person to take care of the health care needs.

♪♪ Annc: This ViewFinder episode is supported by UC Davis Health where doctors, nurses and researchers share a passion for advancing health.

Learn more about their latest medical innovations at health.ucdavis.edu.