What sets the SAFE-T Center apart is the innovative and affordable technology solutions being created to overcome cost and functionality challenges, said Bill Hartsock, a multimedia specialist in the College of Nursing and a member of the center’s telehealth support team.
“We needed technology with the ability to capture high-quality forensic images while sharing with our remote nurse consultants in real time,” Hartsock explained. “Many existing tools provide excellent images and are highly recommended by SANEs, but lack the teleconferencing capability needed to make this project successful. And a price tag exceeding $30,000 makes this type of technology inaccessible to rural and underserved hospitals.”
Using knowledge gained from Miyamoto’s previous work as a forensic nurse practitioner and researcher at the University of California, Davis, the team, which also includes Tom Rodgers, IT manager in the College of Nursing, and John Ilie, facilities coordinator for the Office of the Vice Provost for Information Technology, set out to develop a custom-built telehealth solution that not only provides high-quality images and ease of use, but also will be affordable enough to ultimately be adopted for use in other communities.
“We are working toward developing a mobile solution that will combine the quality, usability and teleconferencing capability of existing devices at a fraction of the cost,” Hartsock added. “By utilizing tools and services offered at Penn State that are compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), we are building a device that will serve as an all-in-one forensic telehealth solution.”
Another technology component — virtual and augmented reality — will support the center’s goal of providing comprehensive training to rural nurses.
“Using chroma key technology, we can record full in-depth simulations in our training center with video overlays of team members explaining key points as the simulation progresses,” Hartsock said. “Virtual reality technology will allow us to design elaborate simulations giving nurses a firsthand view of physical exams as well as courtroom testimony. Many nurses in these rural areas have limited or no experience testifying in court. The simulations will give them the experience and confidence to present their findings accurately and professionally.”
That sense of confidence was emphasized by Kristina Rose, deputy director for the Office for Victims of Crime, in her remarks about the project’s potential for transforming care for sexual assault victims in remote and challenging environments.
“We want to increase the confidence and skills of clinicians who conduct forensic exams,” Rose said. “With support from the SAFE-T Center, we will retain more SANEs in their jobs because they will know a more experienced SANE has their back.
“Quite simply, my vision is for every hospital in this country to have access to expert SANE services so sexual assault victims can receive the compassion and care they deserve,” Rose concluded.
Collaborating with the College of Nursing on the work of the SAFE-T Center are community partners PinnacleHealth, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health.