UAMS’ Lowery Talks Telemedicine at TEDx Event

By ChaseYavondaC

Curtis Lowery, M.D., chair of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, spoke about the advantages of telemedicine to a room full of analytical minds at the Ron Robinson Theater.

“We’re going to do things in the next few years that are going to change everything,” said Lowery, who is also director and founder of ANGELS (Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System), a program in the UAMS Center for Distance Health to assist high-risk pregnancies throughout the state.

Lowery equates the different roles incorporated on a baseball team to the many roles played in health care.

Lowery equates the different roles incorporated on a baseball team to the many roles played in health care. (Photo by Liz Chrisman Photography)

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience; TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas in short, powerful talks on a range of topics.

Lowery said there has to be a shift in health care from volume spending to value spending with the patient in mind.

“We have to put ourselves in the role of the patient and think about what the patient and his or her family would want,” he said, “and that’s how health care should be directed.”

There should be a systemic approach to providing health care, Lowery said, something that is currently missing and could be addressed through telemedicine. Lowery used Arkansas, a state that is medically underserved in 73 of 75 counties, as a prime example where telemedicine can improve patient care and reduce hospital stays.

Lowery pointed to the benefits of ANGELS, which allows him to consult with a patient, via video, and a general obstetrician in the patient’s area.

Lowery shares health care spending in the U.S. compared to other countries around the world. (Photo by Liz Chrisman Photography)

Lowery shares health care spending in the U.S. compared to other countries around the world. (Photo by Liz Chrisman Photography)

“Now, I can work 100-percent of my time as a high-risk obstetrician caring for patients in the state, no matter where they live,” said Lowery. “Before, I was limited geographically to Little Rock and its surrounding areas.”

In addition to providing care to patients in an “anytime, anywhere” mentality, Lowery said telemedicine cuts down on production costs and improves safety for health care providers.

UAMS’ use of telemedicine in OBGYN consults resulted in more high-risk pregnancies diagnosed sooner, more pre-term infants born in hospitals with a neonatologist, and a decline in the mortality rate, Lowery said.

As technology continues to evolve and improve, telemedicine has become more potent, Lowery said, highlighting the advantages of wearable devices, smartphones and apps that improve health care.

Lowery said there are obstacles, but patients adopting telemedicine practices at a fast pace will require health care providers to acclimate.

“If health care providers are going to survive in a changing world, we’re going to have to adapt,” said Lowery.