Advances in telemedicine accelerate

There's a revolution going on in healthcare - and I'm not talking about the news coming from Washington.

With the help of high-resolution video and fast broadband connections, advances in telemedicine are coming rapidly. The use of broadband technology in health care is becoming more widespread everyday.

Rural and remote areas - where distance or weather often prevents rapid-response medical care - are especially benefitting from telemedicine.

In Eastern Maine, a study found that the TeleTrauma system has been effective in providing care as well as reducing error:

"There is a shortage of surgeon coverage for rural areas in the United States, and this is an improved way of communicating with local providers and expanding the reach of trained trauma surgeons in Maine," according to Dr. Grossmann. The study authors also found that tele-medicine improved surgeon preparation when receiving cases, enhanced cooperation between providers on both ends of the connection, and increased satisfaction among patients and families in understanding treatment plans.

What about when you're on the go?

Dr. Hamilton Schwartz and his colleagues at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) are working with telehealth company Global Media to develop better technology for patients in transit. The results have been incredible:

Among Global Media's products now part of the new Transport AV telemedicine offering is TotalExam, a high-resolution hand-held camera the size of a dry-erase marker. It can be used for examination of patients' throats, eyes, and skin from an Internet-connected remote PC or videoconferencing system.

The Transport AV mobile telemedicine solution mounts on a stretcher and supports 3G, 4G, and 802.11 networks. Its TotalExam camera can be used for video or freeze-frame pictures if there isn't enough network bandwidth in the region for clear images in motion, said Joel Barthelemy, Global Media managing director. An integrated digital stethoscope is also offered as an option.

The next step for Global Media is a "weatherized" TotalExam product, for use during car accidents, floods, and other hazardous situations.

Telemedicine May Help Rural Trauma Surgeons Avoid Medical Errors And Unnecessary Patient Transfers (Medical News Today)

Mobile Telemedicine Helps Patients In Transit (Information Week)