Illinois Telehealth Initiative looks to improve, expand virtual care

Meg Graham, Blue Sky, Chicago Tribune
Published: February 24, 2015

Robotic ultrasounds, virtual diabetes coaches and video software for mental health consultations are just a few of Chicago’s forays into telehealth.

But without proper infrastructure, virtual medicine can’t work the way it’s supposed to. One state organization wants to change that.

Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a Springfield-based nonprofit that aims to promote high-speed Internet connectivity for healthcare and other uses across the state, announced Monday the launch of the Illinois Telehealth Initiative. The initiative, announced at Chicago's new Matter healthtech incubator, aims to improve the quality of healthcare, expand the geographic availability of access to care and reduce costs.

Partnership for a Connected Illinois is establishing a steering committee for the initiative and seeking partners to support the program through participation and funding, the organization said.

Telehealth includes technologies such as video or online doctor visits, remote monitoring of vital signs, online support groups and self-management platforms. The organization has partnered with the Illinois Medical District, the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council and telehealth startups at Matter.

“If you’re not right next door, you might be disparate from that world-class healthcare,” said Dr. Nina Antoniotti, executive director for telehealth and clinical outreach at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. “How many neurosurgeons live in Cairo? How many high-risk OB doctors live in Murphysboro?”

For Sarah Doherty, co-founder of Matter-based TeleHealthRobotics, the announcement signals an effort to make technologies such as remote ultrasound more widely available with the necessary network infrastructure and broadband access. TeleHealthRobotics has built a system for patients to get ultrasounds through robotic kiosks from physicians located elsewhere.

“Telehealth is being made a priority,” Doherty told Blue Sky. “We think that telehealth has the potential to alleviate the state’s and the nation’s crisis in healthcare access.”

David Cohn, founder of Regroup Therapy, emphasized the importance of the initiative for his business. His company connects therapists and clients online through secure live webcam video sessions.

“There are a lot of different components [to what Regroup does] — they all rest upon reliable Internet access,” he said. “Anyone that’s working to increase internet connectivity, especially in mental health shortage areas, is a valuable service for us.”