ECU Health Offers Remote Healthcare Access for Cardiology Patients

(WNCT, Lauren Beachy, Elizabeth Pittman) —   ECU Health plans to begin seeing cardiology patients remotely as some people have to travel an hour or more for their appointments.

“So, our first pilot is going to be in Edenton and we’ve started our first few sessions where we’re actually able to communicate with the patients,” Chief of the Division of Cardiology at ECU Health Dr. John Catanzaro said. “And using technology such as Iron Bow, we’re actually able to not only communicate with the patients and talk to them but actually have a way to measure their heart rate and pulse.”

The care the patients receive will be coordinated from nurses at the ECU Health Chowan Hospital while a cardiologist meets with them virtually from Greenville.

“The whole realm of cardiology services that they would get just as if they were seeing the provider right in the clinic,” Manager of Patient Care Services of the Outpatient Specialty Clinics at ECU Health Chowan Hospital Kelli Joco said. “So, they get to see, you know, with heart monitors to where for several weeks, if that’s needed, we’re able to get them and coordinate all the other care that they may need.”

Patients have enjoyed having new access to health care, and ECU Health is hoping to expand this program.

“Like I said, with our first clinic with three patients and we’ve had six clinics so far,” Joco said. “We’ve seen a total of 30 patients and some of them have even been as early as we are in the program, have even been follow up visits, not just new patients that are being seen for the first time.”

See the WNCT report here.