Katrina Teleconsultation Support

The U.S. Army established a teleconsultation program for deployed physicians of all branches of the military in 2004. This service is now available to all DoD, Public Health Service and FEMA healthcare professionals supporting Hurricane Katrina relief operations.

The following specialties are available for E-Mail consultation:

• Dermatology
• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pediatrics Intensive Care
• Nephrology
• Burn/Trauma
• Cardiology

The process for accessing a teleconsultation service is:

1. Send an email to the appropriate specialty.
2. Teleconsultations will receive a response within 24 hours. If the teleconsultation is urgent please identify this in the Subject Line: i.e. Urgent Cardiology Teleconsultation.
3. Include as many details of the medical problem as possible:
   1. Nature of the problem including duration, chronicity, and symptoms
   2. Previous management and outcomes if known
   3. Diagnostic tests completed or scheduled
   4. Your diagnosis including differential diagnosis
   5. Limitations at your facility, in the case of Ophthalmology information on available local resources for referral
   6. Specific questions for the consultant
4. Digital images if appropriate
5. Additional contact information if you wish the consultant to contact you.
6. Do not include identifying patient information, this system is not encrypted.

Please disseminate as appropriate.

For updates and additional information, visit the Healthcare Operations Hurricane Katrina Relief page (log into AKO first).

Source: Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Deployment Health Clinical Center, Deployment Health News. 7 September 2005.

Back to Hurricane Katrina Resources