In looking back forty years at telemedicine technology used in Alaska, it is interesting to see how a comprehensive telemedicine experimentation began and also, how comprehensive telemedicine experimentation operated in the early 1970s.
Alaska’s telemedicine experiment in the 1970s, enabled indigenous health aides to use video technology. By using newly developed technologies, they were able to work with general medical officers at the bush hospitals and with the specialists at the Anchorage Native Medical Center.
The project started in the 1970s was referred to as the “Alaska ATS-6 Telemedicine Experiment.” At that time, NASA was planning the launch of a Public Services Communications Satellite featuring two way color video. Prior to that launch, only one-way black and white video channels via satellite were available at a cost of $6 million per year. Believe it or not, that was the price for a single channel.
It all started when Charles Brady, who 40 years ago was Director for the Office of Systems Development and Analysis for the Indian Health Service, wrote a proposal for a healthcare experiment to use telemedicine equipment in remote Alaskan villages.
The Indian Health Service at that time, was already well along in developing an advanced computer driven Health Information System (HIS) on the Papago Reservation in Arizona. The system provided on-line patient health status information when a healthcare provider saw a patient. The patient health status information contained comprehensive data from multiple health facilities and also from providers in many disciplines.
After the funds were approved for the ATS-6 project, the late Dr. Martha Richardson Wilson was appointed Medical Director and approved the design. The next step was to place an order for all of the equipment needed. Engineers at Westinghouse in Baltimore were able to put the equipment together according to the design.
In 1974, NASA deployed the ATS-6 a thirty foot dish to locations in the Alaskan communities of Galena, Ft. Yukon, Tanana, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. The original ATS-6 telemedicine experiment equipment included a monochrome video camera, remote camera control, video tape recorders, video and audio scramblers, stethophone, simplified control panels, and human interface devices.
The ATS-6 was available for one hour each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The HIS was used to identify some of the patients and the HIS health summaries were available for supporting consultations.
During the short time that ATS-6 was used to treat medical patients in remote and isolated regions in Alaska, a wide spectrum of medical problems were seen and evaluated. While most specialties conducted successful full telemedicine sessions for individuals with orthopedic problems, acute trauma, and cardiac conditions, it became clear that other kinds of problems could easily be well managed in a rural environment. As a result, valuable information was obtained via video conferencing.
However, it was unfortunate for the project that NASA felt obligated to move the satellite to India to participate in education projects but it was fortunate for India. When NASA did bring the satellite back, it was found that too many control thrusters had failed on the ATS-6 and the system had to be taken out of service.
For more information, contact Charles Brady at 301-948-0473 or 301-906-4789.