Two Department of Pediatrics faculty members are contributors to a book on telemedicine

book coverA new book on telemedicine includes contributions from Emily Ruedinger, MD, MEd, associate professor, and Laura Dos Reis, MD, assistant professor, both in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, and Ellen Bryant, MD, who contributed to the book during her pediatrics residency here. (Bryant is currently completing a fellowship in adolescent medicine at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.) The book, published in 2024 from Springer, is entitled, Telemedicine for Adolescent and Young Adult Care: A Case-based Guide. It offers 12 chapters featuring 28 authors investigating a wide range of topics related to telemedicine and adolescent health. Ruedinger, Dos Reis, and Bryant wrote chapter six, “Telemedicine Use in Adolescent Primary Care,” pages 61 to 83.

Dr. Emily Ruedinger

They developed their guidance as a response to the increased use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the need and “potential to improve care accessibility and patient satisfaction.” The chapter offers providers ways to optimize telemedicine for adolescent care through specific strategies:

  • Structuring workflows to ensure high quality, equitable care, and maximizing team-based care approaches.
  • Selecting an ideal location that is private and quiet.
  • Confirming consent for medical treatment, either via parent or patient.
  • Having the patient report their own vital signs with the use of digital devices, if possible.
  • Using screening questionnaires just as they would be used during an in-patient visit.
  • Performing a virtual physical exam with the help of the patient, with the understanding that there are limitations to this.
Laura Dos Reis MD
Dr. Laura Dos Reis

The authors noted that it is essential for providers to familiarize themselves with ways to effectively employ telemedicine for the adolescent population.