The Next Frontier in Surgical Care: Telemedicine and Telecommunications

Presented by Vahagn C. Nikolian, MD

Monday, May 3, 2021 | 8:00 pm CT

Digital health technology has rapidly expanded over the course of the past year. This webinar will review telemedicine in the past, the impact the COVID pandemic has had on telemedicine utilization, and the potential prospects of telecommunications as it applies to surgeons.

Learning Objectives

• Define digital health and the rapid expansion of telemedicine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Recognize previously established and emerging barriers to digital health
• Identify future application of technology to enhance surgical outcomes

More about Vahagn C. Nikolian

Vahagn Nikolian, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon with advanced training and expertise in abdominal wall reconstruction. He is a member of a talented team of surgeons at OHSU where he uses his experience and research to help advance the treatment of patients with hernias and abdominal wall defects.

He was raised in southern California, where he attended medical school and graduated with honors from the University of Southern California. He completed his surgical residency at the University of Michigan. He completed his complex abdominal wall reconstruction fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. His research and commentaries have been published in several prominent journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and Annals of Surgery. His research at OHSU involves utilizing technology to improve patient care. Specifically, he directs his efforts towards improving access to digital health and improving outcomes in hernia surgery using minimally invasive and robotic surgical technology. To date, he has more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters focused on general surgery, resident education, and digital health. He has received national awards as well as funding from the National Institutes of Health and other surgical societies.

Dr. Nikolian aims to work with patients, their families, and primary care doctors to develop patient-centered treatment plans. He looks forward to collaborating with other specialists to give patients the most options and the best possible outcomes—regardless of their geographic proximity to medical services.