With the constant pressure to increase the quality of patient care and the desire to provide new services, while at the same time controlling costs, healthcare providers are beginning to leverage the power of video and voice networks, and, more recently, Telemedicine, to link patients, specialists and medical professionals, thus extending the reach of healthcare.
These technology solutions empower the healthcare industry to capitalise on hyper-connectivity. Patients seek lower out-of-pocket costs, less travel and shorter wait times as they receive medical care. Healthcare professionals seek knowledge, productivity and efficiency. With Telemedicine, information, rather than people, is moved.
The barrier of physical distance is dismantled and specialists can consult with each other globally, and can be accessed directly by the patients to receive timely medical care. Live digital video and high-speed network connections enable physicians to evaluate and diagnose illnesses in real-time, without the need for either the patient or the physician to travel.
In addition to the above advantages, Telepresence, and, subsequently, Telemedicine, also has the opportunity to assist with the following:
- Effective administration
There is certainly a challenge to overcome decreasing budgets but increasing operational costs, while managing an effective business across geographically dispersed regions. Telepresence allows healthcare institutions to manage projects and conduct meetings with significant reductions in cost and time, while elevating productivity, efficiency and interpersonal employee relationships.
- Highlighting the ’e’ in education
Running a healthcare educational organisation, while keeping resource assets, is tricky in a competitive healthcare environment. Yet a centre of education excellence can now be created despite geographical barriers. With the use of such technology, broader access of students to medical professionals is enabled (e-learning), increasing global reach.
Video conferencing brings classrooms on site, allowing knowledge transfer to take place at the bedside or classroom, or even at a remote site across the ocean. Medical professionals also have the convenience of being able to obtain continuing medication education, access certification programmes and train with some of the best specialists in the world.
Telemedicine systems bring medical expertise to patients and providers regardless of location. The use of Telemedicine increases revenues for healthcare facilities by allowing hospitals to tap the expertise of individuals across the country or the globe. Patients get the care that they need regardless of their location, and often faster and at reduced cost. Healthcare providers are saving critical time and enhancing productivity to better serve their patients in an increasingly demanding environment.
With the advent of high-definition conferencing technology, healthcare providers now have the tools to make true, real-time medical care and education a reality - a tool to re-invent the industry, and to take the future of healthcare to the next level of service.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Dan Engel
Quelle/Source: Computing SA, 12.06.2008
