Although technology will not replace the visit to the family doctor, video conferencing is emerging as powerful component in telemedicine and telehealth. Video conferencing helps many patients, and enables doctors to communicate with specialists without local boundaries in order to make critical diagnoses faster.
Telemedicine is the use of medical information that is exchanged between treatment sites via electronic communications. Telehealth describes remote healthcare that may include clinical services. Telemedicine and telehealth may use video conferencing, still images, documents, e-health (patient portals for example) and remote monitoring of vital signs. According to reports Telemedicine is successfull applied in almost 50 different medical subspecialties areas including: dermatology, ophthalmology, mental health, cardiology and pathology to name a few.
IP-based videoconferencing (like our services) has empower the growth and evolution of telemedicine and telehealth. In the next 10 years virtually all telehealth transmissions will occur using Internet Protocol says The Association of Telehealth Service Providers (ATSP). This is especially important because it provides the real-time communication and interaction required in a doctor, or health provider and patient relationship.
Shared Visions Video Conferencing services help to further the growth, acceptance and adoption of telemedicine initiatives. Keeping telemedicine costs low enables providers to reach out to a broader audience, including those in rural regions and low-income patients who cannot afford to travel long distances for care. Once telemedicine reaches maturity, it will be possible to bringing top-notch health care to those who really need it via video conferencing and without the time delay and cost of traveling to a clinic in another state or country.
Here is a good example of already applied telemedicine. Want to know more? Contact us on telemedicine@sharedvisions.ie or call 021-492 89 54.
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