WENY -- Early this afternoon, Guthrie Health along with Penn State University officially launched the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Tele-health program for victims. The SAFE-T program is designed to have a nurse experienced in sexual assault cases participate in the exam along with the local site nurse. This is done with specialized Tele-health technology where the experienced nurse is virtually present and has all the tools necessary to perform the sexual assault exam along with the help of the on site nurse.

"The Tele-SANE, that is on this screen can see and interact with the patient as if she is in the room. She can have conversations back and forth with the local nurse. So, that's where they can devise the plan of care on what they plan to do together. all of this video is secured, dedicated zoom rooms are and we work work off of a WiFi in your hospital that is locked down," said Sheridan Miyamoto, Director and Principle Investigator at the SAFE-T Center. 

Even though the expert nurses are virtually there, they can still see everything they need to.

"You have a cart that looks very similar to this. So, this is a standardized patient that we have. This would be at the beginning of the exam there's an iPad on the front of the cart  that a patient can interact with around research or doing surveys at the end," says Sheridan.

The Tele-SANE available in real time as long as the patient has agreed to a Tele-Health consultation. Sheridan also adds the virtual nurse has all the tools necessary to conduct and overlook the exam.

Sheridan says, "She can move this camera and see what's happening in the room and zoom in. She can also see exactly what the local nurse is seeing as she goes to examine the body."

A concern that has come up with this kind of technology is security, but Sheridan says this is completely safe and secure.

"Our Tele-SANE works from a safety center issued Macbook, it is locked down and they can not do anything but a consultation on it. They can't even surf the internet except for resources around International Association of Forensic Nurses etc. So, it is purely to conduct these examinations."

Sheridan also mentioned this new technology helps by having the nurses work as a team, instead of having one individual conduct the exam.

"And we really pitched this as a partnership. So, we get introduced and we talk about that the two of us will be doing this exam together and thinking about your care together."

This new program is now available at Guthrie in Sayre.