The Digital Medical Services® DMS® System

WHAT IS DMS®? The Digital Medical Services® or DMS® system, mar-keted and operated by NuPhysicia, is a patented intel-lectual property of the University of Texas System. It represents an effective, technology-based system for delivery of health care that incorporates medical video-conferencing, electronic medical records, patient remote diagnostics and data collection, and enterprise reporting systems for the medical environment.

DMS® ORIGINS The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, has been operating commercially viable telemedicine programs since 1997. Rather than considering telemedicine as a research project, feasibil-ity study, or grant-funded research program, UTMB has embraced telemedicine as a self-sustaining model for

medical care delivery, and operates the largest program of its type in the world as an ongoing clinical endeavor. UTMB successfully operates telemedicine programs in correctional health care, indigent populations, scientific exploration, and employee health programs. UTMB re-organized its telemedicine programs into a single busi-ness entity, the UTMB Electronic Health Network, in 2004. This organization applied sound business princi-ples to UTMB’s telemedicine service lines to insure economic viability and provide understanding of a profit-able telemedicine business model.

The DMS® Approach to Technology-Supported Distance Medicine. The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) invested over $30 million and seven years into the development of a new system that changes the way medicine can be delivered. NuPhysicia takes this investment and moves forward with a system that has been continually upgraded using the latest technology, with a core of broadband communication and integration of an electronic medical record. This premier integrated system employs these technologies to link live interactive video with the patient, input from medical devices, and electronic medical records to provide the physician with real-time patient information. The DMS® Common Technology Platform. Central to NuPhysicia’s telemedicine systems are the use of large-scale, geographically distributed broadband computer networks for secure medical applications. Broadband communication systems swiftly and easily transmit the large amount of digital data back and forth between physician and patient. These net-works, appropriately configured and operated, are the backbone on which NuPhysicia systems operate to support medical quality video, electronic medical records, and other necessary systems.

DMS® Use of Electronic Medical Records. Also core to NuPhysicia’s programs are electronic medical record systems coupled with voice recognition, provid-ing physician notes that are always available and legi-ble, reducing the possibility of medical errors. Faxing of medical records is completely eliminated. The electronic medical record systems provide crucial information communication, organization, and reporting.

DMS® Systems for Remote Medical Care. At the core of NuPhysicia’s remote physician services are the medi-cal studios, also called the virtual physician office. This is a complete work environment for distributed medical care, allowing a physician to see patients anywhere on the network, supported by electronic records and medi-cal peripheral devices. The medical studio supports either primary care or specialist providers, and allows the virtual practice of medicine anywhere the network can reach. At the remote clinic, a special medical cart is created for com-municating with and treating the patient. Included on the cart are all the necessary electronic de-vices required to operate the vir-tual physician office. The cart con-tains a complete medical video-conferencing system, including video monitors, and a remotely controllable pan/zoom camera

giving diagnostic quality images. A light table enables the physician to view a recent x-ray or an EKG that appears last minute at the remote clinic. A hand-held medical camera, complete with fiber-optic halogen lighting, is used to see into the patient’s throat or ears, or examine the skin closely. In addition, an electronic digital stethoscope sending unit is included. The cart also carries a complete electronic medical record workstation, allowing the clinician at the remote site complete access to patient medical information.

DMS® Training for Technology Compe-tency in the Clinical Work Environment. When advanced technology is used in health

care, it cannot be counted on that all health care providers have comfort and skills with computers and technology. NuPhysicia has specialized training pro-grams to get clinicians capable and comfortable in our high-tech environment. These programs provide con-

tinuous, standardized training for all our technology systems that we use every day.

DMS® Informatics, Outcomes Research, and Evidence-based Clinical and Administrative Management. With the use of electronic medical record systems, NuPhysicia operates ongoing health care data-mining and analysis programs using the data created and managed in Digital Medical Services®. These analy-ses allow real-time review of in-

formation for improving health care services administra-tively, as well as producing clinical outcomes data to insure quality health care. Informatics tools distribute these reports electronically to all levels of the organiza-tion, insuring effective communications for process im-provement.

DMS® Complete Health Care Delivery Programs. For customers seeking complete solutions, NuPhysicia of-fers full medical care solutions on a capitated basis for covered populations, to reduce costs and to provide quality medical care for large payers. These programs intermix telemedicine care and regular brick-and-mortar health care to provide all necessary medical care serv-

ices. Customers contracting for this product obtain complete, outsourced management of all health care needs for entire populations. NuPhysicia’s service offerings differ from competi-tors by the effective application and integration of proven telemedicine and information technologies. These technologies allow medical services and population health information to be optimally managed from a central-ized, enterprise-wide perspective with real time information sharing.