History of Telehealth at the UW
The University of Washington has been involved in telehealth and telemedicine for more than 40 years. Past projects at the UW have included:
- 1960’s—NASA satellite based telemedicine demonstration project
- 1970’s—part of NASA’s STARPAHC (Space Technologies Applied to Rural Papago Advanced Health Care)
- 1990’s UW Department of Radiology Image Transmission Projects (NASA & U.S. Navy Funded)
- Multiple Department of Electrical Engineering internet based telemedicine transmission projects
- 1994-2000—WWAMI Rural Telemedicine Network (FORHP/OAT Funding): a demonstration project utilizing low-bandwidth telehealth technologies to provide clinical telemedicine services to rural communities within the WWAMI region. For more information, see this link: http://www.fammed.washington.edu/telemed/
- 1995-2000—Bench to Bedside & Beyond (NLM Funding): Building and Testing an Integrated Regional Medical Information Network for the Pacific Northwest
- 1999-2001—Affiliated Family Practice Residency Telemedicine Project (Federal & State Training Grant Funding): a project to link family practice residents in the WWAMI region.
- 1999-2001—Telepartners rural special educational needs support project (Department of Education funding): an outreach project in early detection and intervention for children with disabilities in remote communities.
- 2002-2007—The Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County, in the case of US West Communications vs. Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, issued an order granting final refund disposition (No. 96-2-09623-7SEA), including the allocation of funds to the UWSOM to support equipment, services, and digital telecommunications networks, and related administrative costs, for a telemedicine network in Western Washington. UW Telehealth Services utilized these funds to develop a Telehealth Network in rural western Washington and to develop telehealth programs and services to benefit Network members and communities.
- 2006-2009—Native People for Cancer Control Telehealth Network was funded through a three-year grant from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth/HRSA to develop a Telehealth Network among 6 Native American Tribes in rural western Washington and to link with telehealth networks serving Alaska Natives throughout Alaska, and to develop telehealth programs and services such as educational programs, case conferences, and clinical services related to the diagnosis of cancer.