Smoke signals were an early sign of African villagers, warning people to stay away from outlying villages due to serious disease. People living in remote Australia used two-way radios in the early 1900s powered by dynamo and driven by bicycle to communicate with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
Care at a distance, or care “in absentia,” is not a new practice. In fact, this practice dates back hundreds of years and brings with it a successful history of health care that has evolved into what we know as modern telemedicine, thanks to modern technology.
Modern Telemedicine
Telemedicine generally refers to the use of communications and information technologies for the delivery of clinical care. A rapidly developing application of clinical medicine, telemedicine uses phone, Internet and other networks for the purpose of consulting and remote medical procedures or exams. In practical application, telemedicine may be as simple as two health care professionals discussing a patient’s care over the phone. More complexly, doctors may use satellite technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation in two countries.
The first telemedicine systems were not quite so technical, however. They operated over a standard telephone lines and were generally used for remotely diagnosing and treating patients requiring cardiac resuscitation. This system, marketed by MedPhone Corporation in 1989, was reintroduced a year later in a mobile cellular version. Twelve hospitals in the U.S. participated as receiving and treatment centers.
Telemedicine systems have evolved through many changes and today serve as a useful tool used between general practitioner and specialists at remote locations. Two sectors of patients who benefit greatly from the enhanced telemedicine system are pediatric and Medicaid patients.
Telemedicine and the Pediatric Patient
A known leader in the industry, UC Davis Pediatric Telemedicine is internationally recognized in the field of clinical services, innovation, education and research because of its vast expertise. Leaders from the Center for Health and Technology at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, along with faculty from the UC Davis School of Medicine, and the Pediatric Telemedicine Program has provided more than 5,500 telemedicine consultations to children throughout the state of California.
By leveraging telemedicine technologies, UC Davis has sought to increase access and improve the quality of care presented to children living in underserved and rural communities. The team at UC Davis has created countless high-quality and cost-effective models of care that other facilities have replicated.
UC Davis also provides a telemedicine presence in the following pediatric programs:
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Outpatient Care
- Newborn Feeding
- Mentoring
- Audiology
- Research
- Parent Child Interaction Therapy
These programs address a range of pediatric medical needs, from providing advice to new parents to assessing X-rays. Because of the implementation and development of these programs, thousands of children have been diagnosed and treated appropriately and professionally when they may have otherwise stagnated in their care.
Telemedicine Improves Medicaid Patient Health
Medicaid also seeks to improve patient health by permitting interactive communication between patient and a physician at a distant site. According to Medicaid.gov, “Telemedicine is viewed as a cost-effective alternative to the more traditional face-to-face way of providing medical care that states can choose to cover under Medicaid. This definition is modeled on Medicare’s definition of telehealth services (42 CFR 410.78).”
Medicaid patients were once limited to local medical practices, but thanks to telemedicine, low-income families have access to the best practitioners in the country. Some doctors, in fact, spend the bulk of their work week treating patients in remote locations, helping to keep treatment costs down and improve care quality.
Remote monitoring solutions have revolutionized the efficiency of medicine and patients’ access to the critical and specialized care they need. Not only is telemedicine emerging as the latest technology with big promises to solve major health care issues, it is also becoming a critical tool in diagnosing and promptly treating patients in remote locations who otherwise would not have access to care or guidance on managing chronic illness.
Image by EMSL from Flickr’s Creative Commons
About the Author: Steve Wilson publishes a blog about new advances in medical technology.
Post Footer automatically generated by wp-posturl plugin for wordpress.