Saturday, August 6, 2022
- Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecture
- Best Practices in Lab Management
- Advanced IONM
- Advanced EEG Topics for the NeuroAnalyst
- MEG/ANS Mini-Course
- Symposium
8:00–9:00 am
Plenary Session: Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecture
Telehealth – “This Is the Way”
Ryan R. Lau, MS, R.EEG/EP T., CNIM, CLTM, FASET
Telehealth has made a dramatic shift since the onset of the COVID pandemic. Strangely, we have been living in this pandemic for over two years. You might ask yourself, “Has it really been that long?” The short answer is, ”Yes,” and we have not been living in a bizarre dream. This new world includes N95 masks, supply shortages, and full-blown lockdowns! It also included hospitals having to bar physical in-person visits and patient care almost coming to a complete halt. It seemed like the only way to receive health care was to wear a full hazmat suit, just as was portrayed in the movies ET and Outbreak, which seems outlandish, but it was part of the “new norm.”
Given these challenges, Telehealth came to the rescue! It has actually been around since the 1860s coming into existence after the invention of the telegraph in the 1830s by infamous Samuel Morse (1791-1872) who is perhaps best known for Morse Code. During the Civil War, over 15,000 miles of telegraph wire were laid along the East Coast for military purposes. In war, health care is an absolute necessity and Telehealth was born!
Fast forward to January of 2020, approximately 500,000 telehealth visits occurred in the United States. In April of 2020, a whopping 17,500,000 telehealth visits spanned the states! The COVID pandemic caused a significant and rapid adoption rate of 3,500%, thus, solidifying telehealth’s permanent place in the spectrum of health care. Health care is Telehealth. This presentation will share the history of telehealth medicine, its current and possible future state, and what it means for Neurodiagnostics.
Telehealth – “This is the Way.” – The Mandalorian
About Ryan R. Lau: Practicing clinical neurophysiology and administrative aspects for over 20 years and has numerous published articles in Neurodiagnostics. He also holds a faculty professor position at Capella University and is a current IONM faculty for ASET’s online courses. Ryan earned his Master’s Degree from Walden University. He has been an invited speaker, event organizer, and board member for several organizations including ASET, ASNM, CSET, ISETT, METS, MSET, WSET, and Hans Berger. Over the past two years, his preeminent Project ECHO and TeleICU & ICU Innovation programs won the South Carolina Award of Excellence. Ryan earned the R.EEG/EP T., CNIM, and CLTM board certifications. He continues to review for The Neurodiagnostic Journal and was awarded Fellowship at ASET (FASET) for his research and service to the profession. He has served on the ASET Board of Trustees and was past chair of multiple committees and task forces. With his strong passion for Telehealth and online education, he also serves on ECPI University’s Advisory committee.