FaceTime(®) for teaching ultrasound-guided anesthetic procedures in remote place

Abstract

In isolated area in Japan, only one anesthesiologist must often do new anesthetic techniques such as ultrasound-guided procedures without receiving any teaching. One solution to this problem may involve teleanesthesia, by which experienced anesthesiologists teach novices in remote places, by utilizing information communication technologies. FaceTime™ (Apple, USA), which provides 120p of the resolution and 30 frames per second (fps) is an application of free visual communications using iPod Touch™, iPhone™ or iPad™ (Apple, USA). We investigated the delay time, the loss of the frames and the picture quality of iPad (as the device in the teaching site) in combination with iPod Touch, iPhone4 or iPhone5 (as the device in the isolated site) during FaceTime. At the operating rooms in Sado General Hospital (SGH) located in Sado Island (population; approximately 60,000), Japan, an anesthesiologist prepared 3 mobile devices (iPod Touch, iPhone4 or iPhone5). He called the other anesthesiologist at Yokohama City University Hospital (YCUH; approximately 300 km apart) by FaceTime using 1 of 3 mobile devices. The anesthesiologist at YCUH received the FaceTime call using iPad. After the connection was established, the display of the same cervical ultrasound image at SGH was sent to YCUH to evaluate the distinctness visually. Then we measured the delay time of every second (n = 60) and the loss of the frames (total frames = 30 fps × 60 s = 1,800) in each device for a minute. P < 0.01 was statistically significant. The quality of the pictures on the iPad display sent from iPhone5 was distinctly the best visually. The delay time of iPhone5 was significantly longer than the others (iPod Touch; 0.14 ± 0.02 s, iPhone4; 0.13 ± 0.02 s, iPhone5; 0.19 ± 0.03 s), but clinically acceptable. The loss of the frames of iPhone5 (20; 1.1%) was significantly less than the others (iPhone4; 900, 50.0%, iPod Touch; 902, 50.1%). To teach anesthetic techniques in remote place by FaceTime, iPhone5 as the devise in isolate site was optimum compared with iPod Touch and iPhone4.