Robotic devices, large databases, picture messaging – I’ve seen all of these technologies put to use for improved healthcare in many places. The issue seems to be more about the initial cost of purchase along with the ongoing cost of keeping a service running. Taking in to account the various
financial options available for establishing a service, the return on the initial investment can be faster than expected. For example, use of a telemedicine
solution to offer an out-of-hours emergency response for cardiac, stroke or similar episodes will not only save vital minutes in the treatment plan for a patient, but it can also have a dramatic
network automated manager setup to allow or deny consultations automatically.
Bandwidth requirements: The same gatekeeper network devices can also be used for ‘shaping’ the speed of telemedicine calls across the hospital network and to other locations. Network shaping can involve setting maximum bandwidths for certain types of calls. For example, a clinician using a mobile telemedicine cart in the accident and emergency rooms will connect at the best possible network bandwidth and apply a quality of service to the network traffic.
TELEMEDICINE IN REMOTE AND UNDERSERVED AREAS Equity of access to healthcare services is considered a human right in most of the western world, but providing healthcare services, specialist medical treatment or a consultation with a nurse or doctor in every city is a growing problem for
public healthcare systems. Using UC in telemedicine applications will enable organisations to deliver basic services speedily and on a regular basis. For remote areas, telemedicine is
becoming a lifeline for the community; not only does it serve to provide timely medical advice without long travel, but it is also keeping the community together, removing the need to migrate from remote to populated metropolitan areas when a citizen encounters ill health. The same can be said for medical
education. For instance, some high profile professors who work at some of
92
www.lifesciencesmagazines.com
the world’s largest institutions may be approached to teach medical students in smaller parts of the world, therefore reduces travel costs and reduces the number of hours spent travelling. Additionally, in the Middle East, some
universities may be required to teach male and female students separately due to cultural or religious reasons. Therefore, teaching two classes at the same time would also save on time, and in the long run save on university costs.
PHYSICIANS ARE PRO- TELEMEDICINE In my travels around Europe, Middle East and Africa, motivating physicians to use telemedicine does not seem to be a problem. Recent history has shown how technology can be adopted in healthcare for the good of the patient.
«There’s no doubt telemedicine plays a huge role in the area of medical education»
financial affect on the recovery and medical or social care budget required during rehabilitation. Failure to use a telemedicine solution will see more hospital systems failing to meet the needs of citizens, especially the elderly. As population numbers are growing steadily, so is life expectancy, due in part to better medical science but also down to the higher standard of living we have experienced since the Second World War. UC in a telemedicine application can
augment existing processes for patient care and will change the way doctors and patients interact. ■
AH
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196