The International Space Station orbits far above the Earth's surface. The astronauts manning the space station have access to incredibly sophisticated technology, but they are not exempt from the need for healthcare.
The World Health Organization published an article examining the similarities in healthcare access issues between astronauts and patients in rural areas. In an effort to prepare for medical emergencies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has turned to something we here are Earth are familiar with: telemedicine.
Crew medical officers receive 60 hours of preflight, basic medical training, according to the WHO report. Additionally, they have access to Earth-based telemedicine consultations. Here are two lessons healthcare providers can take from NASA's approach.
1. Task-shifting. Task-shifting can be used to expand human resources. For example, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can be trained to provide care that traditionally is the provenance of only physicians.
2. Point-of-care ultrasound. NASA has demonstrated point-of-care ultrasound performed by crew members with guidance from ground-based flight surgeons is clinically useful. On Earth, providers in rural areas could be trained similarly to expand access to emergency care.
"Telemedicine…can combine task-shifting and ultrasound access to improve the management of patients in remote settings," according to the report.