CloudVisit has personal experience with correctional facility telemedicine. The setup is ideal for psychiatry and counseling – better continuity of care to prevent a destructive mental health state.
This article grabbed our attention last week. “Four more inmates at the Westchester County Jail required medical treatment Monday night after apparent overdoses, bringing the total to 10 overdoses at the correctional facility over the past couple of days.” Westchester County Jail was placed on lockdown following synthetic drug overdoses, and a search was done to ensure inmate safety.
Ongoing Care
Correctional facility inmates need counseling and psychological services, but they’re often overlooked in the patient population. Providing continuing care to these individuals may be the difference between regular routine and complete chaos – such as in the article mentioned above.
Safety
Safety of physicians is always a concern for correctional facilities. With telemedicine, the facility can grow their provider network – mostly, because more providers are likely to be interested in providing service. The situation is a win-win.
Resources
Correctional facilities, especially in rural areas, have limited healthcare resources. Whether an issue of safety, funds, or specialist shortages, telemedicine can intervene to offer a solution.
Inmate Transports/Budgeting
Offering quality, continued care will keep correctional facility residents at a satisfactory mental state, greatly reducing emergency situations where transporting is unavoidable. With a remote provider setup, telemedicine eliminates transports during continued care – therefore, reducing transportation and security costs.
Statistics
Texas Department of Criminal Justice introduced telemedicine to its facilities in the 90s. Over 10 years, the department facilities save nearly $1 billion, cut back emergency room and doctor office visits by 70% and reduced unnecessary medical tests by 45%, according to Gartner.
It’s a modern solution for an issue that isn’t often top-of-mind. Can you think of other unique scenarios where telemedicine would be a perfect fit?
