National Institute of Justice Helps Facilities Implement Telemedicine Program. (Technology Update)

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Health care provisions in correctional facilities can be costly, difficult and present security risks. Telemedicine can alleviate some of these obstacles, but implementing a telemedicine program can be a daunting task and it may not be the right choice for all facilities. To help correctional administrators with these issues, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has funded a two-part project. The first part demonstrates the potential advantages of telemedicine. The second part guides facilities through the necessary steps of implementing a telemedicine system.

A Successful Demonstration Project

In 1994, the departments of Justice and Defense established the Joint Program Steering Group (JPSG) to manage the development and testing of useful technologies. Telemedicine was deemed useful, therefore JPSG, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, conducted a three-year telemedicine demonstration project. Several federal prisons with different missions and security levels were connected through a telemedicine network -- one of which was the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Lexington, Ky. FMC Lexington and a local veteran's administration hospital served as the hubs in the network, providing physician specialists and other health care professionals. An independent evaluation found that telemedicine could be a cost-effective method for providing health care …