Introduction
“Telemedicine, this is the use of telecommunication technology to provide medical services to the people remotely but sometimes can be used to provide medical information” (Charles 2008). This type of technology can be as simple as two medical doctors discussing over the phone, or as complicated as the use of Very Small Aperture Technology (Vsat) technology to discuss a consultation between two medical doctors in different parts of the world, ‘by the use of video-conferencing’. “The use of this technology is widely used everyday either by health professionals or large medical centers in different parts of the world” (Charles 2008).
Types Telemedicine
There are different kinds of telemedicine technology that are widely used in the health sector. “The first one is known as “store and forward”, this is used to send images from one place to another in different place” (Dunn 2007). It involves a picture is taken by the use of a camera; it is then stored and then sent using a computer to another place, it is mostly used in non-emergency situations. The other kind of telemedicine is “telepathology” its involves images in form of a pathology slides which are sent to another locations for diagnostic. But “The widely used kind of telemedicine is the use of two–way interactive TV (IATV), this involves face-to-face consultations between medical doctors in different parts” (Dunn 2007).
Applications
There are many applications for the use of Telemedicine world-wide in providing of health services to different types of people, for example.” at The University of Nairobi telemedicine is being used in oncology i.e. providing mental health care to patients in rural areas and also this technology has been used in various secondary schools in Kenya, by allowing school medical practitioner to consult a doctor” (Jane 1996), without going to the doctor. “Telemedicine has also been used in prisons, when it is dangerous to take a prisoner to the hospital for treatment; by the use of this technology prisoners have been prevented from escaping away” (Jane 1996).
Advantages
“The use of this technology has made specialized treatment in the urban and rural areas to be readily available to the common people” (Karinch 1994), telemedicine between a doctor in a rural area setup to a specialist has help in minimizing the patient travelling and it is cheap in cost that he/she may incur, “with videoconferencing medical practitioners are being trained in isolated rural health centers around the world and lastly this type of technology has cut the cost of health care for those who are in rural areas” (Karinch 1994).
Disadvantages
“There are still barriers in the use of this technology; many governments in the world would not allow a doctor from another country to practice in that country unless he is licensed doctor in the same country” (Wotton 2006). Some insurance companies would not pay back the money when the patient has use this type of technology, “for example in the state of California, only person- to-person consultations scenarios are the ones they can get reimbursement and lastly most hospital fear malpractice suits as a result of the doctor uses this kind of technology when he messes up the patient” (Wotton 2006).
Conclusion
In the near future the use of technology will be just another way to see a medical doctor for consultations, just as talking to friends by the use of a phone. It has been seen also in the future we will have a “Personal Diagnosis Systems” in our living rooms, this system will check our health and it will automatically give this information to a doctor who is located in a hospital or remote place. Thirty years ago it was unimaginary in the medical sector to rely on telemedicine in treating the sick, this technology is being used in the but it has not reach it full potential.
Reference List
Charles, A. (2008).Essentials of telemedicine and telecare. London: John Wiley and Sons Publisher.
Dunn, K. (2007). Telemedicine: practicing in the information age. Michigan: Lippincott- Raven Publisher.
Jane, M. (1996). Telemedicine: a guide to assessing telecommunications in health care. New York: National Academies Publisher.
Karinch, M. (1994).Telemedicine: what the future holds when you’re Ill. London: New Horizon Press.
Wotton, R. (2006).Introduction to Telemedicine. London: RSM Press.