Evaluation of clinical data by remote observation in trauma

The use of telecommunications for medical diagnosis and patient care is finding new applications in a variety of disciplines. Telemedicine relies heavily on remote audio and video observation for patient evaluation and management. Trauma care has evolved into a highly specialized field of surgery where experience and judgment may have a major effect on clinical outcome. Prior to implementing telemedicine for remote diagnosis in trauma care, the limitations of video observation must be critically assessed and documented. This study analyzes trauma resuscitation into its component parts by using one-way video and audio observation. This will help define the feasibility and pitfalls associated with the development of remote consultation techniques for trauma care. Video observation of trauma resuscitations has previously been used for education and quality assurance purposes only. 1-3 These studies reviewed videotaped resuscitation for trauma to assess trauma team performance and provide educational feedback. To our knowledge, video observation has not been previously tested as a medium for assessing clinical data in injured patients.