Long before sophisticated technology had infiltrated the health care industry, patients had to take a trip to doctors/physicians to seek medical care. People had to travel far and wide to access health services.
Although, elementary telemedicine has been in practice for many years, recent technological advances in Information Technology allow patients to access high-quality health care services without ever making a real-time appointment with the doctor. The technologies dealing with telemedicine command considerable importance today and I believe that more people should be on familiar terms with, how to use them.
Telemedicine means refers to the health care realm, in which Information Technology is used to exchange medical information to provide real-time consultations, testing/examination, patient monitoring and medical procedural services over geographic distances. Other terms like e-Health and Tele Health are used to describe non-clinical aspects such as medical education, research and hospital administration (and in recent years, the acquisition bio-medical information from devices instead of directly from clinicians). Telemedicine makes use of some advanced technologies, some of which are listed below:
Remote Patient Monitoring
- RPM has grown rapidly in the recent years and is helping cut substantial health care costs.
- It makes use of sophisticated devices and equipments to monitor patients suffering from chronic diseases right in their homes.
- Doctors/physicians can collect patient’s blood pressure, sugar levels or other important health signs.
- The data can be sent to a central monitoring station from where it can be beamed to the concerned doctor for reviewing.
- In future, chronic patients will simply wear a garment in their home. In-built sensors will transfer patient’s medical data to the doctor.
Patient Data Storage Technology
- This is not a singular technology but a network of numerous equipments.
- It is used to store medical data of a patient, which includes X-rays, MRI scans, CT scan images, and complete history of the patient’s health.
- These data can be forwarded to any location at any given time.
- The future may see a nationwide grid being established only for this purpose.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employs this technology for dermatology, radiology and retinal imaging.
- The technologies used here consist of Network file control software that is used to classify and manage a patient’s file according to the policies/guidelines set by the health care organization it belongs to.
- Furthermore, automatic tape-backup system uses a 24-tape auto-loading tape library provides comprehensive backups without any manual intervention.
- This further simplifies data security and management.
Interactive telemedicine:
- This lets patients and physicians communicate in real-time.
- The process usually involves installing an internet-enabled video conferencing setup.
- The interactive sessions can be performed right from the patient’s home.
- A typical session would include activities like medical history review, ophthalmology assessments, psychiatric evaluation and other medical activities.
- Most of the activities don’t require any direct physical contact.
Practical benefits of Tele Medicine
Psychiatric evaluations performed through Tele Medicine solutions can be less intimidating, especially for children, as the patient and doctor are not interacting face-to-face. The technology used here includes a two-way, interactive television (IATV).
Usually, the patient, a nurse and a telemedicine coordinator congregate at one site and a specialist is present on another site. Nothing more than a simple desktop video conferencing setup (such as Skype) can be used to accomplish the entire procedure.
Also, peripheral devices, such as Otoscopes and Stethoscopes can be connected to the computers, thereby allowing an interactive examination of the patient.
The Limitations
- As promising as the technologies of telemedicine may seem, some drawbacks are still there.
- For example, some states don’t allow people to consult with an out-of-state doctor until he is licensed.
- Some private insurance companies do not provide any reimbursement in case of telemedicine.
- In case of telemedicine, apprehensions regarding a doctor’s credibility and malpractice lawsuits are high since there is no physical interaction involved.
- Also, telemedicine requires broadband connection which unfortunately; has not yet penetrated rural areas. All these issues plague this otherwise amazing technology.
Comparison of Pros and Cons
Eventually, the benefits offered by the advancing telemedicine technology definitely outweigh its downsides. All the above mentioned disadvantages are, however, time bound and will certainly change for the better, as time passes by.
What does the Future Behold?
In the near future, telemedicine will provide healthcare services in not only rural communities, but in metropolitan areas as well. Specialty care will be the priority of telemedicine.
Soon, we would see a personal diagnosis system in every US home. It will monitor record and transmit our health status daily. When we would fall ill or if our health would demand attention, it would automatically report the case to our personal physician/doctor.
Summary:
With rising healthcare costs; technology seems to bring in, the much needed respite. Tele Health, e-Health and Tele Medicine together; promise to deliver enhanced health care services, making our lives safer and healthier in the process.
Long before sophisticated technology had infiltrated the health care industry, patients had to take a trip to doctors/physicians to seek medical care. People had to travel far and wide to access health services.
Although, elementary telemedicine has been in practice for many years, recent technological advances in Information Technology allow patients to access high-quality health care services without ever making a real-time appointment with the doctor. The technologies dealing with telemedicine command considerable importance today and I believe that more people should be on familiar terms with, how to use them.
Telemedicine means refers to the health care realm, in which Information Technology is used to exchange medical information to provide real-time consultations, testing/examination, patient monitoring and medical procedural services over geographic distances. Other terms like e-Health and Tele Health are used to describe non-clinical aspects such as medical education, research and hospital administration (and in recent years, the acquisition bio-medical information from devices instead of directly from clinicians). Telemedicine makes use of some advanced technologies, some of which are listed below:
Remote Patient Monitoring
Patient Data Storage Technology
Interactive telemedicine:
Practical benefits of Tele Medicine
Psychiatric evaluations performed through Tele Medicine solutions can be less intimidating, especially for children, as the patient and doctor are not interacting face-to-face. The technology used here includes a two-way, interactive television (IATV).
Usually, the patient, a nurse and a telemedicine coordinator congregate at one site and a specialist is present on another site. Nothing more than a simple desktop video conferencing setup (such as Skype) can be used to accomplish the entire procedure.
Also, peripheral devices, such as Otoscopes and Stethoscopes can be connected to the computers, thereby allowing an interactive examination of the patient.
The Limitations
Comparison of Pros and Cons
Eventually, the benefits offered by the advancing telemedicine technology definitely outweigh its downsides. All the above mentioned disadvantages are, however, time bound and will certainly change for the better, as time passes by.
What does the Future Behold?
In the near future, telemedicine will provide healthcare services in not only rural communities, but in metropolitan areas as well. Specialty care will be the priority of telemedicine.
Soon, we would see a personal diagnosis system in every US home. It will monitor record and transmit our health status daily. When we would fall ill or if our health would demand attention, it would automatically report the case to our personal physician/doctor.
Summary:
With rising healthcare costs; technology seems to bring in, the much needed respite. Tele Health, e-Health and Tele Medicine together; promise to deliver enhanced health care services, making our lives safer and healthier in the process.