Healthcare Driving Video Conferencing Demand
A recent study by Frost & Sullivan on Video Conferencing for Healthcare finds that there are many opportunities for conferencing service providers in Europe to get in on the growing demand for both infrastructure and endpoints. Video conferencing offered in patient homes can be a major benefit to many, but the ability to travel a short distance to a clinic offering video conferencing for post-discharge programs, specialist consultation, etc. is a logical next step in the industry.
“Rising incidence of chronic diseases, an ageing population, and budgetary pressures on healthcare organisations in Europe have combined to generate demand for solutions that simultaneously enhance care and reduce costs,” saidFrost & Sullivan Information and Communication Technologies Research Analyst Mark Hickey. “A number of successful pilot programes and early stage roll-outs are expected to keep the adoption rates of video conferencing services high.”
Europe has many differing regulatory environments, and that variety creates a challenge for vendors. Cost, security, and privacy of patient information are also a concern, as is ensuring access is limited to the proper parties. Despite these challenges, the healthcare industry is displaying a growing demand for the use of video conferencing in practical applications, including mobile.
At WhyGo, we’ve been watching the use of video conferencing morph into new territory for over ten years. It’s been fun! It started out as a goal of making it as easy to book public video conferencing facilities as it is to book hotel rooms or airplane tickets. Now, we’ve added private rooms to the mix, are all over the globe with three teams to provide 24/7 service, and our network has over 4,500 video conferencing facilities and it’s growing all the time into new territory. Business, education, research, healthcare….what’s next?
We have discussed at great length the benefits that video conferencing has had on the health care industry. It has opened up the opportunity for remote treatment and collaboration between doctors, nurses, medical students, patients, and other affiliated parties. It has also saved money otherwise spent on travel for both the health care institutions and their patients. Recently, more attention is being paid to the mental health care industry – video conferencing has been reported as a new tool for therapy and other similar practices. Now, a report shows that video conferencing is being used for addiction treatment. Telepresence Options reports:
“People in early recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, particularly those with active lifestyles such as Baby Boomers, a group that has seen skyrocketing substance abuse issues, are finding that new Online Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) such as Lionrock Recovery help combat the shame and stigma they often feel during treatment. By providing unmatched affordability, privacy, and convenience, these programs make getting help for drug and alcohol addiction much easier.”
The use of online tools such as video conferencing to help combat addiction works to eliminate some of the stigma and shame associated with seeking out help for problems such as alcohol and drug abuse. It also supports anonymity and cost efficiency in the entire process.
The benefits are clear, and although in-person or even in-patient treatment may be necessary for many, these new programs provide a unique solution to people who are experiencing specific problems with looking for treatment. It is easy to feel ashamed and avoid help, but with video conferencing-based programs, it may be easier for people to reach out. We are excited to see how these tools can improve quality of life all over the world!
Royal Philips Electronics, a telehealth enterprise dedicated to providing the health industry with comprehensive solutions for remote medical care, has announced a partnership with video conferencing company Vidyo. The partnership aims to develop tools that will incorporate remote physiological monitoring and other related practices into hospitals and health care institutions.
Vidyo’s video conferencing and telepresence solutions have led them to be one of the industry’s leading service providers of remote communications technology. Its Adaptive Video Layering Technology is a huge draw to Philips, and they will be using this technology in conjunction with their own systems and plans to develop new methods of providing patients with treatment and monitoring. The systems reportedly will also focus on advanced support for clinical decisions, helping doctors and other health care providers around the globe with remote assistance.
This is exciting news for the video conferencing industry and the health industry alike. Philips is dedicated to teaming up with industry leaders to provide comprehensive solutions to problems in the health care world, and Vidyo has the power to achieve this. Other industries reaching out to the video conferencing community in hopes of expanding and improving upon services of all kinds will strengthen the world around us.
Adding Vidyo’s products and services to Philips’ existing business model allows them to achieve higher levels of flexibility and scalability. We look forward to seeing other areas of society where video conferencing can make a profound difference!
You wouldn’t necessarily think that schoolchildren are going to be at that video conference, but remote collaboration is fast becoming a regular part of the classroom and other learning environments for all ages.
For example, High Tech Youth Studio empowers students aged 8-25 in underserved communities in the Pacific with Lights, camera and creativity. This program originated in Otara, New Zealand ten years ago and has grown from six students on the first day to 30 on the second day and over 600 participants today. According to the article, this program is designed to be a safe place for youth to expand their horizons:
” … the range of creative expression will be nearly infinite. The after-school facilities will offer state-of-the-art learning where youth can experiment with animation, robotics, engineering, website design, video game development, software coding and music and video production.”
On the other side of the world, Kids build robots, explore engineering ingenuity, and do it with the help of video conferencing. The Robot Garage sends boxes of parts to places like a library in remote areas and then connect in a video conference to a room of kids exploring the science of robotics. According to Beth Weigel, programming and events coordinator for Juneau Public Libraries:
“The event is a combination of a video conference with the Museum of Flight, using the OWL (online learning) system to connect with them to talk about the history of robots, where things are going in the field and the kind of things they can be used for such as in space, in the home and just everyday use,”
It’s exciting to see what technology is being used to do in education all over the globe. WhyGo has seen a lot of changes happen in video conferencing and we look forward to seeing what will happen next!
A few weeks ago we wrote about telemedicine, the idea of videoconferencing in the health industry. Two days ago, Medscape News Today ran a story on telemedicine videoconferencing, suggesting that the practice could change health care delivery for the better.
The article really centers on the prospect of doctors making money with telehealth. Many insurers now require that doctors be compensated for their time if they consult with a client by video. If a physician can be paid the same by providing recommendations through video as he can with a face-to-face consultation, then why not? We could some day see doctors who provide no other kind of medical advice.
Twenty states, the article says, now require reimbursement to doctors for videoconferencing services. Ten more have legislation pending. Estimates show that more than 10 million Americans have benefited from telemedicine within the last year.
Telehealth is viewed as a way for physicians and other providers to see more patients more conveniently, inexpensively, and quickly, improving the quality of care while reducing healthcare costs. Videoconferencing and other telehealth tools can do this because they remove the need for every patient come into the office, regardless of the complaint, resulting in chronic scheduling backlogs, particularly in primary care.
Change is inevitable. The question here is, will telemedicine lead to better medical care or will there be limits to this new kind of delivery of medical services?
One of the most powerful aspects of video conferencing technology is its ability to reach out to various industries to provide professionals with comprehensive solutions to problems of all kinds. Remote communication is exceptionally important in fields with experts in disparate locations; the right tools can facilitate new findings and more effective practices. The health care industry is one such example of a place in which video conferencing can make a difference. Medical video technology has the power to improve internal communications, spread expertise, and develop new solutions.
One of the lesser known functions of video conferencing in the health care world is its ability to improve learning practices for medical students. TechTarget’s article on the subject notes that the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center uses Cisco systems to help with medical research and learning. It’s a great way to connect students with remote information sources and it can help teach people new things in a more effective manner.
Of course, the technology is also great for connecting medical experts with patients. Because of the specific nature of many doctors’ studies, and because of the geographical limitations related to connecting patients with these experts, remote communications are extremely important. Using video conferencing can connect patients with a doctor that has the most knowledge on a given ailment and can help them work together on diagnoses, treatments, and so on.
It is important for medical institutions all over the world to examine the existing tools that can most effectively facilitate more collaboration. TechTarget warns that it is important for these institutions to examine technology needs rather than specific brands. We hope to see more video conferencing systems in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and health care locations all over the world.
A lot of the discussion surrounding video conferencing technology focuses on business environments and how it can be used to support better communication between professional parties. We’ve also talked a lot about its use in our personal lives – tools like Skype and FaceTime are widely recognized methods of spending time with remote friends, family, and loved ones. But there are also a number of other critical applications for the hardware and software that make up video conferencing. A recent story out of Baton Rouge demonstrates just how important these applications can be. Video conferencing is saving lives in hospitals all over the world. CBS WAFB reports:
“Just over a year ago, the Lake began the Telestroke Medicine Program, to remotely treat patients suffering from strokes. The program connects the Lake to West Feliciana Parish Hospital, Lane Regional Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, and the Lake’s branch in Livingston.”
Because so many medical concerns can be extremely time-sensitive, it is critical to have resources available that can connect doctors and other specialists to patients in need no matter where either party may be. With modern video conferencing technology, this has become a distinct possibility. Now, instead of having to feed instructions over a phone, doctors can actually visually communicate with patients and identify issues, demonstrate practices, and much more. It is an entirely new tier of remote support for health care concerns, and it has truly improved processes in many hospitals worldwide.
We hope to see video conferencing become more commonplace in health care insittutions as stories like these continue to come out. Share your thoughts in the comments!
The use of video conferencing and telepresence technology in the health care industry has been widely discussed here and in many other news and analyst outlets over the past handful of years. It’s one of the most innovative and beneficial ways of adapting the technology to the modern world. With that being said, there are still many barriers that affect the ability of health care professionals to take advantage of these tools. Laws, for one, are often prohibitive. Thankfully, some legislatures across the world are working to ensure that health care professionals of all kinds are able to access remote patients for treatment opportunities. A recent story published in the Salt Lake Tribune discusses how the Utah House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve the use of tele-mental health care. The article explains:
“Menlove added that the bill may bring more mental health services to rural Utah where there arent as many therapists. And it would also allow people moving to Utah to continue their therapy with their out-of-state therapist for 45 days, without the therapist needing to get a Utah license.”
Mental health care is one of the areas of the industry that is getting a closer look in recent years, thanks to developments in treatment and a growing acknowledgment of the need for more robust mental health treatment systems. The ability to offer remote therapy and other assistance is an extremely important one, and it is exciting to see that governments are recognizing this need and taking steps to make it happen.
The health industry is one of the most important sectors of our society because it is dedicated to providing the public with as many ways as possible to maintain good health and quality of living. Whether you’re looking for ways to combat a common illness or you are living with a difficult ailment, you will certainly benefit from the practices, medicines, and treatments offered by health care providers all over the world. One of the exciting ways in which this industry has grown in recent years is the introduction of telemedicine – the use of remote communications technology such as whyGo corporate account has opened up the doors for new and more comprehensive ways of treatment.
Telemedicine allows remote health care officials access to patients all over the world. This becomes especially important when dealing with patients who live with rare or severe illnesses and ailments. Experts in that field may be few and far between, but it is important to have their input on every case possible. Now, patients can be linked via video to a remote expert who can help with diagnosis, treatment, and more. It may not be the ideal circumstance, but it is certainly a powerful alternative for when face-to-face meetings are not possible.
Telemedicine also allows health care providers to maintain strong contact with one another. When doctors and other officials can collaborate on treatment regiments and other projects, they can provide patients in all areas of the world with more effective solutions to their various problems. Video conferencing is a huge step up from simple e-mail correspondence or phone conversations in this regard, especially given the visual nature of the health care industry.
Telemedicine is just one way in which video conferencing has made a strong and positive difference in the world around us. Stay tuned for more news and analysis on the subject!
One of the biggest concerns about hospitals is the increased risk of infection during patients’ stays. Blood infections can cause serious complications and put a patient in even worse condition than they came in. That’s why healthcare providers all over the world are looking for ways to reduce these risks and make hospitals safer and less contaminated. A recent story out of New Zealand shows how telemedicine is helping with this problem. Scoop Independent News reports:
“TeleHealth technology is playing a vital role in Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) being one of the leading DHBs in the country to reduce hospital acquired blood infections.
CDHB Intensive Care Specialist, Dave Knight, says Christchurch Hospitals Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been central line associated bacteraemia (CLAB) free for the last 250 days and an important aspect of this achievement is the sterling work the CDHB TeleHealth service is doing to support it.”
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that hospital employees already have a huge load of work on their hands, and anything that remote sources can do to add some assistance is going to pay off in the long run. The ability to promote this targeted program through video conferencing is a strong one, and it should serve as a great example to countries and healthcare providers all over the world.
Infection reduction is only one such example of how telemedicine can improve hospitals. Remote experts on specific ailments can weigh in on a patient-by-patient basis or they can simply give the doctors some pointers and thinks to keep an eye on. We hope to see it continue to expand as time goes on.
Nebraska, in the middle of the United States, is full of spacious stretches of land and sky with widely scattered inhabitants. Although it has a long way to go before it maximizes telehealth, it might be the first place it was used in the nation. Some 55 years ago, Dr. Cecil Wittson, a former University of Nebraska Medical Center dean and chancellor, did some psychiatric consultation with two-way audio and video similar to closed-circuit television. At the time, it was the best way to treat distant patients without transporting them many miles to an office.
A recent article in the Omaha World-Herald gives an interesting update to Nebraska’s telehealth progress. “Doctor’s home visit is back – kind of- as telehealth flourishes nationwide” by Rick Ruggles looks at the way things have changed.
This is like the tsunami. So much is happening. Technology is changing really rapidly. Legislation is changing, said Mandi Constantine, who was hired 15 months ago as executive director of telehealth for the Nebraska Medical Center to hasten the hospital’s efforts.
Telehealth is being used in rural areas to connect specialists to patients in local doctors’ offices without having to drive hundreds of miles. Psychiatric appointments are happening in nursing homes via videoconferencing instead of transporting frail patients and compromising their health. The Nebraska Med Center has at least 13 new test projects and initiatives in telehealth covering a wide range of specialties.
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs began using telehealth in the late 1990s, adding remote patient monitoring in the following decade. Last year, 608,900 patients were cared for using home monitoring, videoconferences, and related technology. According to Dr. Adam Darkins, the Veterans Health Administrations chief consultant for telehealth, the VA saves about $2,000 a year per patient with technology that costs about $300-400 per patient annually and keeps them out of the hospital. Video telehealth specialties include wound care, nutritional counseling, infectious diseases, and psychiatry.
It’s interesting to see how video conferencing and similar technologies is improving healthcare in areas that previously had few medical options. WhyGo has been watching the global state of the video conference for over ten years, and it is exciting to see telehealth be an established part of medical practice.
We’ve looked at the healthcare industry and its interest in video conferencing solutions before – there have been many stories in the past couple of months regarding hospitals and other healthcare facilities adopting the technology for more comprehensive communications solutions. The ability to connect patients with remote healthcare providers and family members is just one of the many strong reasons why video conferencing has a place in the healthcare industry. A recent article from ScienceBlog looks at how a tentative plan for a “Facetime-like” video conferencing social media service could increase productivity and possibilities in the healthcare industry.
The proposed plan would not only incorporate video conferencing technology – it would also create a network for patients and physicians to share information and create important contacts for better solutions to difficult health concerns. The article explains:
“Two aspects of social media that might revolutionize healthcare provision lie in the relationships between patients, the relationships between physicians and perhaps most importantly the relationships between the two. If social media can enable patients to share information with other patients and to gain knowledge and at the same time give physicians the ability to share and learn from their peers more readily, then the meshing of these two threads could make for better informed connections between patients and their physicians too.”
Social media has proven to be a successful tool in a number of other industries, so it stands to reason that the health care world can reap many strong benefits as well. The ability to create a network of patients and physicians and link them with video conferencing will open the door for new possibilities. We are excited to see how this plan continues to develop in the future!
As the use of Skyping and other forms of video chat rises, the improvements in technology allow applications in medicine. In the United Kingdom, the BBC has recently asked the question, “are Skype consultations the future of doctors surgeries?” The article makes a variety of points in favor of Skyping or using similar videoconferencing technology for healthcare:As the use of Skyping and other forms of video chat rises, the improvements in technology allow applications in medicine. In the United Kingdom, the BBC has recently asked the question, “are Skype consultations the future of doctors surgeries?” The article makes a variety of points in favor of Skyping or using similar videoconferencing technology for healthcare:
- less time between a referral and consultation
- less travel pre- and post- operation
- fewer people in waiting rooms
- ability to conference with GP, surgeon, and patient despite busy schedules
- improved images let the surgeon see the patient clearly for assessment
About 80% of the UK has high speed internet, enabling a large portion of the population to access the technology required for a virtual home visit. Those who lack the devices or skills could conceivably engage in a video chat from a rural hospital or clinic without traveling to see the specialist. Imagine Skyping with both your doctor and your surgeon for the followup visit while sitting on your couch!
Confidentiality and security concerns are always an ongoing issue, but verification software and firewall maintenance should relieve those concerns.
In the United States, this technology has been used in teaching surgical procedures to students in other hospitals. There is a great deal of interest in using video chat technologies for consultation with patients isolated by distance, but those greater distances also make the high speed internet less accessible. The FCC’s Broadband Initiative hopes to give US residents the potential for access to similar videoconferencing technologies in their healthcare options.
The future of medicine includes videoconferencing and telepresence. The only question is whether Skype will be utilized to provide remote healthcare for all who need it.
In areas that are more remote and spread apart than cities and hubs of activity, there is still a need for communication and assistance in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the people who live there. Doctors in rural areas are always looking for new ways to reach their patients faster and get their services out to the widest range of people possible. With video conferencing, this has become a possibility. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on how rural doctors are dealing with VC setups in Australia:
“RURAL doctors received $7.2 million from the federal government for software to enable them to communicate more easily with specialists, but some found downloading Skype was a better option for them.”
Reporter Tim Barlass looks at how despite being given money in order to adopt sophisticated video conferencing setups, doctors ended up turning to the simplistic, universal Skype program to use in their work. The issue became that many doctors’ offices who downloaded paid software found that they were not compatible with other doctors and patients. This is because of a lack of interconnectivity in the industry – as of right now, video conferencing users still need to be connected through the same service provider in order to interact with one another.
Because the doctors were not given guidance as to how to use the money they were granted for VC, many of them ended up taking different directions and got themselves into a corner where they couldn’t reach out to patients and other doctors. This highlights a distinct roadblock in the video conferencing world – a lack of connection capability between different service providers will continue to be a problem in the foreseeable future.
For now, it’s important for institutions to realize that they need to decide on a single service provider if they’re going the paid software route. Hopefully, this will be a non-issue in the future.
Promoting health and healthy practices is an increasingly important part of educating people around the world. In order to accomplish this task, it is necessary to find ways to spread information about healthy living and proper health care techniques. In areas with fewer experts and less tools, it can be difficult to accomplish this. Thankfully, video conferencing and other remote communications tools are making it a possibility. Polycom video conferencing technology is connecting hospital experts with students in remote areas in Senegal. The article published on Health Tech Zone explains:
“Polycom’s video conferencing solution has been equipped to a classroom, along with two cameras and an interactive whiteboard. Students can use the Polycom desktop solution over ADSL and ISLN connections to connect to the facility, observing and interacting with the others as though they were physically present.”
Hospital partners are also using Polycom technology to remotely train surgical staff, which is an extremely important practice that will provide the region with stronger health care solutions.
Polycom’s technology was chosen thanks to its ability to function across multiple platforms. This way, the hospital can connect with different areas and different people to provide mentoring and support.
The story here combines two of the environments in which video conferencing flourishes the most – health care institutions and educational institutions. Students working towards medical degrees and similar endeavors are now able to learn more, thanks to the comprehensive opportunities provided by video conferencing. This is truly an exciting time to be learning!
We talk a fair amount about telemedicine and how video conferencing has made strong improvements in the health care industry worldwide, but one subject that gets less focus than it deserves is in the area of mental health. Mental health care professionals provide an invaluable service to patients all over the globe, but unfortunately, travel limitations cause problems for patients in rural areas or without proper transportation. Thankfully, recent news from South Australia shows us how this is beginning to change. ABC Online reports:
“Mental health services in South Australia’s country areas are set to be boosted by a digital project aimed at cutting the need for travel to Adelaide….A $5 million state and federal project will provide more than 100 new video conferencing units.”
The decision to provide new units for mental health professionals allows patients in remote areas to more readily contact their health care providers. It can be used to handle remote therapy sessions, examinations, and much more. The need for strong mental health service all over the world is a pressing one. Though it is often overlooked as a subsection of health care, it is an ever-present need that can make a real difference in people’s lives.
Video conferencing will allow mental health care professionals to treat remote patients in a more intimate and easily examined environment than phone conversations or Internet correspondence. It’s a huge step in the right direction and the grant should certainly benefit both doctors and patients alike. Do you think other countries and areas of the world will follow cue? Tell us your thoughts!
Hospitals are tasked with handling patients of all kinds, but some of the most difficult ones to handle properly and effectively for both the doctors and the patients themselves are ones who are often readmitted. A trial used in an Indianapolis hospital recently showed how the proper use of video conferencing can cut down the readmission of some of the most high-risk patients, such as those suffering from heart problems, to as low as 3%. The article on Med City explains:
“Dr. Alan D. Snell, the chief medical informatics officer at St. Vincent Health in Indianapolis, said the focus of the Central Indiana Beacon Community project was a month of video conferences between nurses and people with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The goal was to keep these patients out of the hospital.”
Hospitals are often overstocked with patients, so anything that can be done to reduce the amount of beds being taken up is a move in the right direction. Beyond that, video conferencing allows patients a more comfortable setting to handle and discuss their health issues, and it cuts down on the costs of travel and hospital stays in a tremendous fashion. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, and should definitely be considered by other hospitals around the world.
Of course, the system won’t work for patients of all kinds. This particular trial handled patients with clearly diagnosed maladies that have targeted treatment plans. We hope to see the use of the technology spread to other areas of health care, but in the mean time, this is a great way to handle the problem of overcrowding.
Visiting doctors and other health care professionals for check-ups, examinations, and other concerns can be both stressful and difficult. Scheduling, travel, and money are always issues, especially if you’re looking to see a specialist. The Canadian province of Alberta has recently utilized video conferencing system for remote consultation with doctors and other professionals to provide patients with a less stressful and more manageable way of addressing issues and getting the treatment they need. CTV News reports:
“Last year, 650 patients met with a pediatric specialist through the technology a 33 per cent increase compared to the year before.
It’s also estimated more than 4,300 discussions on patient cases and care plans took place between experts such as dietitians, pedestrians, cardiologists and urologists through Telehealth technology.”
The implementation of powerful video conferencing systems in the health care industry not only allows patient-to-patient interaction, but professional-to-professional interaction as well. This spells an all-around improvement for the industry as a whole and it provides citizens with more reliable and manageable ways of staying healthy.
While it is of course not always possible to reach diagnosis or administer treatment remotely, it seems that the use of telehealth systems could significantly improve quality of life and convenience for people worldwide. There are reason big and small to see doctors, and for those that are on the smaller side, a remote consultation may be the most appropriate.
How do you think video conferencing will affect the health industry moving foward? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Video conferences aren’t just saving money and travel costs for business. Rural clinics increasingly turn to telemedicine to save lives. According to Avera Health, in the last year they have hosted over 4,000 video encounters between rural medical clinics in the US. Many of the western states, like North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota are wide and sparsely populated, which means residents are hours away from the larger hospitals and too far away to travel in an emergency. It is difficult to retain a physician nearby because there isn’t enough business to support a practice.
At the same time, people in rural areas do need medical care. When a 72-year-old rancher had a punctured lung from an encounter with a 1,400-lb cow, the small South Dakota clinic was able to connect with the e-Emergency service in Sioux Falls within seconds.
Using video conference technology, the staff in Sioux Falls coached the clinic’s physician through the unfamiliar process of inserting a chest tube to drain the blood collecting in the rancher’s lung. The nurses in Sioux Falls charted the medications so the nurses in the clinic could keep their hands on the patient. The larger hospital could schedule a helicopter to pick up the patient and transfer records so tests would not be duplicated.
Telemedicine allows a small rural clinic to attract quality physicians who would not be able to do their residency without the support of a larger network. The technology has been a lifesaver for clinics near isolated vacation spots, too, since the need for emergency services is too sporadic to support a regular emergency room but multiple victims can arrive at the same time and overwhelm the facility.
It’s exciting to see the many uses videoconference facilities can be put to, and the WhyGo network has over 3,500 available all over the globe. What will you use video technology to do?
Microsoft’s Kinect video gaming system is proving to be much more than an innovative tool for entertainment. We have discussed in the past how this motion-sensing camera and video connectivity controller has allowed the development of telepresence robotics, but now we are faced with a scenario where the Kinect could have the United States healthcare system up to $30 billion. The idea is to deliver a system that allows close doctor and patient interaction through remote avenues and without any concerns about sterility or health interference. Red Orbit reports:
“The Kinect allows doctors to control the system without breaking the sterile field via hand gestures and voice commands with a goal of reducing the direct cost of healthcare associated infections to hospitals and patients, the team explained in a statement.
Remote treatment is certainly a unique way of cutting down on infection concerns in hospitals – but it may, in fact, be a great one. Because a lot of doctors’ work includes simple symptom analysis and visual inspection of wounds or other concerns, a lot of their work can be performed without being physically present and exposing themselves to health concerns.
Infection rates in hospitals have been a growing concern over the past handful of years, and with the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA, it is becoming increasingly important to look into solutions that cut down on these threats. We are excited to see video conferencing making a difference yet again in the world of healthcare.
