Teleteaching gives UNE students real world experience treating patients

Teleteaching gives students the opportunity to work with real clinicians and patients

The University of New England and Maine Medical Center are collaborating to give future health professionals experience treating patients without leaving the classroom. First year students from the Westbrook College of Health Professions Departments of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy participated in a teleteaching experience with Maine Medical Center (MMC).

Physical therapist Erica Egeler, D.P.T., and occupational therapist Jen Cote, O.T.R./L., treated a patient with complex medical needs in the intensive care unit as the students watched and listened through video conferencing. The students had a chance to review case information, discuss health care teams’ roles and responsibilities, as well as expectations for the patient’s participation as it related to his medical needs for his rehabilitation session. Gaining insight into the patient’s unique medical situation provided a window into O.T. and P.T. services within the acute care setting.

Teleteaching provides a HIPAA encrypted, real-time web conferencing capability for the students to have a shared clinical experience. This continues to be a profound method to discuss clinical cases in real-time and actual scenarios for MMC clinicians, UNE faculty and the patient, as well as our students.

Amy Litterini, P.T., D.P.T., assistant clinical professor and Mary Beth Patnaude, M.S., O.T.R./L., assistant clinical professor facilitated the event with the help of Liz Crampsey, M.S., O.T.R./L., BCPR and Jim Cavanaugh, P.T., Ph.D.