Telemedicine Applications
Rural Health
One of the greatest challenges in rural health is assuring that medical expertise is available where it is needed, when it is needed. This is difficult for remote rural healthcare facilities because they are often unable to attract, afford or retain specialty providers. Telemedicine helps solve these issues by allowing access to specialists regardless of location. This is done with
live video or
store and forward solutions or combinations of both. With telemedicine, a remote physician "sees" the patient remotely using
communications technology and special
medical devices. The specialist can examine the patient, review vital signs and patient history, provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Usually treatment can be delivered locally. This minimizes or eliminates the need for travel for either the patient or the specialist. Telemedicine also helps rural facilities to train and retain clinicians because telemedicine allows on-the-job experience and remote participation in grand rounds.
Developing Countries
Telemedicine allows rapid deployment of healthcare to a developing population though relatively low cost clinics. Rather than build and staff large numbers of sophisticated facilities, telemedicine allows basic clinics to share the expertise of clinicians and clinical specialist who may be located centrally or decentralized. Expertise is delivered where it is needed and when it is needed. This substantially changes the healthcare delivery strategy of a developing country. It accelerates deployment and costs a fraction of a traditional "bricks and mortar" strategy.
Corrections
Telemedicine allow prison facilities to deliver high quality care without the cost and dangers of inmate transportation or the need for clinical specialist to enter the facility. Telemedicine substantially improves access to care while substantially reducing costs. Telemedicine has proven effective for clinical as well as mental health. Corrections facilities in many states, the US federal prison system as well as prisons outside the US have implemented telemedicine for healthcare delivery to their inmates. They have realized substantial cost savings and found that telemedicine is safe and effective and inmate acceptance is very high.
Schools
Telemedicine provides support to the school nurse and allows her or his access to expert medical opinion on when it is needed. The school nurse is an isolated provider yet she has to respond to a variety of needs. In some rural communities, the school nurse may be the only healthcare provider. If she cannot confidently diagnose and treat an issue, the student must be referred many miles away. Telemedicine addresses these issues specifically.
Mobile Health
Telemedicine allows mobile health units access to specialist expertise regardless of where either the mobile health unit or the specialist is located. Mobile health units can serve the community, send challenging cases or second opinion requests to a remote specialist for x-ray reads, diagnosis support, treatment advice, etc. to assure the local patient receives appropriate care.
Disaster Relief
The benefits for Disaster Relief are similar to rural health and mobile health. Telemedicine allows healthcare delivery capability to move in quickly after a disaster. This allows the on-sight providers rapid access to advanced expertise and capabilities for triage and care electronically when and where it is most needed.
Shipping and Transportation
Whether it includes crews of cargo ships at sea, guest and crews of cruise ships, passengers and crews in the air or owners, guests and crews on private yachts. Telemedicine allows access to advance healthcare expertise, triage advise as well as diagnosis and treatment regardless of where the ship or plane. Telemedicine avoids the high cost evacuations and unscheduled diversions.
Industrial Health
Industrial sites such as mines, drilling platforms or industrial campuses depend on the health of their employees to operate. They must respond to an unpredictable set of health needs to support sometimes hundreds of employees. Telemedicine avoids the high cost evacuations and assures that the worker receives appropriate treatment and is available to support operations as soon as possible.
