'Virtual doctor' to help rural areas
- added July 23, 2008
- 3 responses
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- goldenways
- added this
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Sick people may soon be diagnosed by a "virtual" doctor across a video link instead of in person after a pilot study was heralded a success. The Health Presence hub from CISCO is being tested at a hospital in Scotland because the NHS believe it could help treat people in rural communities.
It enables patients to check their own blood pressure and heartbeat before being connected to a doctor on the screen. The medic instantly receives all the data from the initial tests and can interact with the patient and discuss their symptoms. A stethoscope, in-ear camera and weighing scales are the kinds of equipment that could be at the patients' fingertips.
If rolled out across rural areas, the hi-tech scheme could bring "great benefits", according to Dr Karyn Webster from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which is trialling the process.
"It is more about reaching communities than speeding up - the consultation probably takes the same amount of time but cuts out the travel time of the round trip."
In some areas, residents have to travel several hours to reach the nearest health centre, an impossibility for some older people or those with disabilities.
The Aberdeen hospital has been testing patients when they arrive at the clinic, first in the pod and then again in person to see how accurate the system is. The diagnoses were almost always indentical, Dr Webster said. She hopes the equipment could be rolled out across the country.
"With limited resources, you can't have a doctor in every rural community so it could have great benefits."
It enables patients to check their own blood pressure and heartbeat before being connected to a doctor on the screen. The medic instantly receives all the data from the initial tests and can interact with the patient and discuss their symptoms. A stethoscope, in-ear camera and weighing scales are the kinds of equipment that could be at the patients' fingertips.
If rolled out across rural areas, the hi-tech scheme could bring "great benefits", according to Dr Karyn Webster from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which is trialling the process.
"It is more about reaching communities than speeding up - the consultation probably takes the same amount of time but cuts out the travel time of the round trip."
In some areas, residents have to travel several hours to reach the nearest health centre, an impossibility for some older people or those with disabilities.
The Aberdeen hospital has been testing patients when they arrive at the clinic, first in the pod and then again in person to see how accurate the system is. The diagnoses were almost always indentical, Dr Webster said. She hopes the equipment could be rolled out across the country.
"With limited resources, you can't have a doctor in every rural community so it could have great benefits."
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- goldenways
- 2 months ago
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I read the headline and though, "what a pile of shit", but that's kinda awesome actually.
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I had the same response when I first saw it.
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- goldenways
- 2 months ago
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i was a paramedic near houston, and about 5 years ago, at the TX ems convention, a company was demonstrating this idea in use in an ambulance. the doctor from the hospital and the ambulance had a 2 way video/audio link. the doctor could move the camera for better view, and direct paramedics to do certain procedures that were not normally within their individual scope. i thought this was very unique, and i'm impressed to see this applied to say, link a major houston hospital with a small rural hospital to provide the most up to date care possible prior to actually having to transport the patient from 'the sticks' to houston.
this can be very beneficial, as i've utilized the healthcare out in deep east texas, and have found it very archaic. i could do more progressive procedures 5 years ago on an ambulance than my nearest hospital can today.
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