Friday, 6 April 2012

Telemedicine- Defination,Benefits,Role

Telemedicine  uses technology to deliver health care, often over great distance with the possibility of cost savings particularly in remote and rural areas.
The defination of Telemedicine adopted by International Consultation Group by the  WHO in theGeneva in Dec 1997 says:
Telemedicine is the delivery of health care services where distance is a critical factor, by health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis,treatment & prevention of disease & injuries & for continuing education of healthcare providers as well as research and evaluation, basically all in the interst of advancing the health of individual & their communities.

Benefits of Telemedicine:
  • Health Education of people and population
  • Employment oppurtunities for technicians, paramedics at a peripheral level
  • Diffusion of medical knowledge
  • Availability of normal health treatments, in distant areas to prevent disease.
  • Improvement of health indicators used by WHO & National Govt structures
  • Telemedicine could help some countries to cut healthy cost.
  • A study carried out in U.S at the end of the last century has estimated that a figure of between 35 & 40 billion dollars could be saved by the health structure by using telecommunication and tele medicine technologies more efficiently. 

In a developing country like India Telemedicine can be offering both Qualitative & Quantitative benefits Rural areas inevitably have short of high level infrastructure.
The Geological distribution of existing hospitals and health services is far from ideal places, usually limited to urban areas at district level.
Tele communication  Network have the potential to provide a solution to provide a solution to many of the problems,
Health services must be provided close to the people who need them and an integrated cost effective approach is necessary.

1 comment:

  1. Well... to a great extent this has gone a long way in benefitting the rural areas where Healthcre facility seems impossible. But necessary consciousness must be brought among the masses.......It also provides basic treatments in case of critical emergency in no time.....So with some challenges, it appears to be the most mobile and fast accessible Healthcare Facility.....Thanks to all associated with it..........

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