Using Computers for Health Care: Telemedicine Developments

1
Using Computers for Health Care Telemedicine
Developments
2
What is telemedicine?

• literally medicine at a distance
• integration of computers, telecommunications,
  information, and medical care
• using computer technology to improve delivery of
  health care to rural and underserved populations

3
Benefits of telemedicine

• better access to health care for the
  geographically or socially isolated
• lower costs for both hospital and patient
• fewer referrals to consultants
• improved medical education

4
What makes telemedicine possible?

• computer technology
• digital imaging
• videoconferencing
• remote monitoring
• networking and telecommunications
• local networks
• Interne

5
Internet technology

• created in 1969 at UCLA by US Department of
  Defense (4 computers)
• expanded to include 50 research sites by 1972
• interconnected with other private and public
  networks during 1970s and 1980s
• currently a privately run system

6
Internet technology

• World-Wide Web (WWW)
• invented by Swiss physicists in 1989
• access improved through development of browsers
  (Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer)
• usefulness improved through development of search
  engines (Yahoo, Infoseek, Alta Vista)
• growing in popularity (53.5 million US adults)

7
Taking advantage of technology for medical care

• medical informatics
• computerized patient records (history, insurance
  claim processing)
• integrated information management systems
• expert systems for advice or warnings
• on-line journals and research reports

8
Taking advantage of technology for medical care

• telemedicine
• accessing or sharing records over distance
• teleradiology
• videoconferencing
• home health monitoring

9
Is telemedicine feasible?

• early projects failed due to poor planning and
  lack of financial support
• new technology has renewed interest
• successful programs exist (see Hamit)
• Texas
• North Carolina
• Georgia
• Kansas

10
Non-technical obstacles to telemedicine
development

• reluctance to adopt new technology
• FDA regulation of telemedicine networks as
  medical devices
• interstate licensing and credentials
• malpractice and liability (especially
  telecommunication providers)
• reimbursement policies

11
Technical obstacles to telemedicine development

• security and confidentiality concerns
• telecommunication regulation and costs
• speed of communication (especially in rural
  areas)
• reliability and accessibility of information on
  WWW

12
Web sites for exploration

• http//www.cs.uwyo.edu/rex/telelab.html
• http//www.wmcnet.org/tele-med/telemed.htm
• http//www.fammed.washington.edu/telemed/
• http//zeus.arc.nasa.gov/spacebridge.html
• http//www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_hu
  man.html
• http//www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/netinfo/
• http//www.jem.org