TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine



Abstract

The paper discusses about Tele-medicine and its scope in today's era. With an aging U.S. population, telemedicine might become more popular in the next few decades. Equity of use remains an issue, though, as digital-divide issues could persist in who has access to telemedicine applications, because of both socio-economic and geographical (rural vs. urban) factors. The real challenge for telemedicine will not be in the development and deployment of the technology, but rather in reconciling the complex legal, jurisdictional, privacy/security, and quality issues that telemedicine raises.

Tele-medicine

Introduction

The healthcare industry is at a critical turning point, undergoing rapid transformation and modernization. Providers and insurers are faced with new regulations and challenges that require the adoption of holistic, business-driven technology solutions that are agile, integrated and interoperable. Telemedicine includes medical practices allowed or facilitated by telecommunications. It is a practice of medicine through telecommunications and technologies that enable the delivery of health care to remote and exchange of medical information related thereto (Wootton, 2010).

Thesis statement

The paper identifies the importance of Tele-medicine and what are the key impediments to the widespread use of telemedicine in the United States.

Discussion and Analysis

Telemedicine is not a new concept and actually happens without our knowledge in our day to day lives. The exchange of information that happens between two people can actually happen in real time using synchronous and asynchronous technologies. For example, a health professional located in a rural hospital can actually share information about the patient like blood pressure, X-rays, reports and much more with another professional located in a city hospital. This exchange of information may take place for many reasons. Most of the medical needs are based on information and the exchange of information. Several technologies have been discovered for this purpose and now they are being integrated in innovative ways (John, 2009).

History

Telemedicine is practiced officially since 1920, when the first radio license for medical service to boats published in New York.

This is the 8 November 1994, took place the first demonstration of telemedicine: a CT scan X-ray had been driven from the Hotel Dieu of Montreal (Canada) on a patient located in the unit of the Hospital Cochin in Paris (France). In 2001, an operation of Telesurgery was performed between New York (which was the surgeon) and Strasbourg (where was the patient).

European Institute of Telemedicine

Professor Louis Lareng is the origin of the European Institute of Telemedicine, which started in 1989 between the Hospital Rangueil in Toulouse and Combarel Hospital in Rodez, allowing patients a better management of medical specialties.

Main Areas of Telemedicine

Telemedicine Consultations

Telemedicine consultations shall be effected by the transfer of medical information via telecommunication channels. Consultations may be held in "pending" mode and in real time.

Consulting in real time

These consultations are more demanding of technical equipment; they carried out using broadband communications and video equipment. There is routine and urgent video consultation. In all these cases is provided by direct communication between the consultant and the attending physician. Most of these consultations are held with the participation of the ...