I worked at one of the top ten hospitals in the nation and we had a virtual medicine program. It was highly effective.
Our doctors were connected to rural hospitals and clinics that did not have the proper specialists.
This program was almost always physician to physician, but not always. Sometimes it was a PA, RN, LVN or paramedic. I have been the paramedic on the other end of the telemedicine setup.
They also often guided other surgeons through tricky operations with great success.
I would imagine in this day care situation, they are dealing with common child illnesses. In that situation, it's not any different at all from you calling your pediatrician on the phone and describing your child's symptoms. The doctor asks you questions, gives instructions and calls in an antibiotic etc.
Surely you have had a doctor do the same thing for you.
Anyway, in a telemedicine set up, the doctor can actually see the patient on the video screen and any trained person can follow the doctor's instructions.
For instance, the doctor may ask to see the patient's rash, or take a look at the chest to see if there is respiratory distress, a camera connected to the terminal can be inserted into the child's mouth to see if there is any swelling, redness etc.
Likewise the camera can be placed in the ear to check for redness or fluid. Just like the thing your doctor uses to check your ears in the office. This one is just connected to the terminal and has a camera on it.
The trained day care worker can take any needed vital signs. A well trained person can do almost anything that the doctor would need to have done. A school nurse or a paramedic or EMT at one of those locations would be outstanding. Some day care centers do hire EMT's or send their own staff for EMS training.
NOW, having said all of this, personally, I disapprove of the parents not being more involved in this. The idea of dropping a sick child off and not being there to speak to the doctor bothers me as a mom.
If they stayed at the daycare and participated in the telemedicine session, then went to work, I think that would be okay.
Having seen telemedicine in action, I am confident that it is a very effective tool and has advantages, even in a school or daycare situation.
Furthermore, be ready for the web cam from home "doctor's visit". I think that is coming.
This is of course only going to really work for minor sort of things, like ear infections, etc.
Any good doctor is going to advise bringing a child in if they find anything concerning in the telemedicine exam.
1. If I am paying $150-$250 per week for child care, I don't want anymore encouragement given to parents to bring in sick kids. They are exposed to enough crap, give them a couple of days off. The day cares I work in had guide lines for fever, vomiting, even the color of the snotty nose, and children were to be sent home immediately if they met the criteria. I wouldn't want sick kids around mine, bottom line.
2. My physician has never and will never prescribe antibiotics over the phone. Maybe if we were on vacation out of state, but not across town.
3. Working parents miss enough of their kids lives. When kids are sick, they want their mom or dad, not the day care worker. If they aren't willing to take a day or two with their sick child, than they shouldn't have had kids.
I just feel it is another cop out on the parents part to not be involved in the kid's lives. It may very well be accurate, but come on parents, give your kid a hug, share a popsicle and cuddle on the couch for an afternoon!!!