Technology in MedicineTechnology in Medicine

Technology in MedicineTechnology in Medicine

Computers in health careComputers in health care• Medical information systemsMedical information systems• Administrative applicationsAdministrative applications

Office management systemsOffice management systems

• Clinical and special purpose Clinical and special purpose systemssystems

Other ApplicationsOther Applications

• Computer-assisted surgeryComputer-assisted surgery

• ProstheticsProsthetics

• PharmacyPharmacy

Computer-assisted Computer-assisted surgerysurgery

Computer-assisting surgical Computer-assisting surgical planningplanning

RoboticsRobotics Minimally invasive surgeryMinimally invasive surgery

endoscopic surgeryendoscopic surgery laparoscopic surgerylaparoscopic surgery

Prosthetic DevicesProsthetic Devices

Myoelectric limbsMyoelectric limbs MicroprocessorsMicroprocessors Computer technology for Computer technology for

vision and hearingvision and hearing

The Computerized The Computerized PharmacyPharmacy

Computers and drug errorsComputers and drug errors The automated community The automated community

pharmacypharmacy Hospital pharmacy robot and Hospital pharmacy robot and

bar-codesbar-codes Point-of-use drug dispensingPoint-of-use drug dispensing

Radiology and Digital Radiology and Digital ImagingImaging

X-raysX-rays• Traditional vs. digital x-rayTraditional vs. digital x-ray• MammographyMammography

UltrasoundUltrasound Digital imagingDigital imaging

• Computerized tomographyComputerized tomography• Magnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imaging• Positron emission tomographyPositron emission tomography

Bloodless surgeryBloodless surgery

• Interventional radiologyInterventional radiology• Stereotactic radiosurgeryStereotactic radiosurgery• Focused ultrasound surgeryFocused ultrasound surgery

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Definition: “The use of computers, the Definition: “The use of computers, the Internet, and other communication Internet, and other communication technologies to provide medical care technologies to provide medical care to patients at a distance.”to patients at a distance.”

Forms: Forms: VoiceVoice DataData Still imagesStill images Motion pictureMotion picture

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Includes: Includes:

DiagnosesDiagnosesPatient monitoringPatient monitoringTreatmentsTreatments

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Telehealth:Telehealth:

Larger field that includes Larger field that includes health-related educationhealth-related education

public health researchpublic health researchhealth services health services

administrationadministration

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Advantages: Advantages: Brings high quality medical Brings high quality medical

care to anyone regardless care to anyone regardless of distanceof distance

Decreases patient wait timeDecreases patient wait timeDecreases patient travel Decreases patient travel

timetime

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Teleradiology: Oldest form of Teleradiology: Oldest form of telemedicine using computers telemedicine using computers and telecommunications .and telecommunications .

Interactive video conferencing: Interactive video conferencing: Conferencing that allows medical Conferencing that allows medical professionals and patients to professionals and patients to consult in real-time, using consult in real-time, using telephones and video screens. telephones and video screens.

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Telepathology: Transmission of Telepathology: Transmission of microscopic images over microscopic images over telecommunications lines allowing telecommunications lines allowing the pathologist to view images on a the pathologist to view images on a monitor instead of under a monitor instead of under a microscope.microscope.

Telepsychiatry: Uses Telepsychiatry: Uses teleconferencing to deliver teleconferencing to deliver psychotherapy. May not be suitable psychotherapy. May not be suitable for some types of mental illness.for some types of mental illness.

TelemedicineTelemedicine

Remote monitoring devicesRemote monitoring devices Telespironmetry- Telespironmetry-

used for asthma patientsused for asthma patients information transmitted over telephone information transmitted over telephone

lines to remote locationlines to remote location Arrhythmia monitoringArrhythmia monitoring

ECG telemetry that monitors a ECG telemetry that monitors a patient’s cardiac status and sends it to patient’s cardiac status and sends it to a remote locationa remote location

Effectiveness of Effectiveness of TelemedicineTelemedicine

Examining a patient at a Examining a patient at a distance is not the same as distance is not the same as examining that patient face to examining that patient face to faceface

In prisons, telemedicine has led In prisons, telemedicine has led to decreased costs and improved to decreased costs and improved health care for inmateshealth care for inmates

Effectiveness of Effectiveness of TelemedicineTelemedicine

Medical assistants at the remote Medical assistants at the remote sites may be usefulsites may be useful

Small hospitals and clinics may Small hospitals and clinics may find hardware costs prohibitivefind hardware costs prohibitive

Research studies generally Research studies generally favorable for medical and cost favorable for medical and cost effectivenesseffectiveness

Use of TelemedicineUse of Telemedicine

Health care to the elderly (homebound)Health care to the elderly (homebound) Connect rural primary care physicians Connect rural primary care physicians

to urban specialiststo urban specialists Allow families of high-risk newborns to Allow families of high-risk newborns to

watch babies’ hospital care from homewatch babies’ hospital care from home Data can be transmitted from Data can be transmitted from

ambulance to ERambulance to ER Patients with chronic illnesses can Patients with chronic illnesses can

receive medication reminders at homereceive medication reminders at home

Issues in TelemedicineIssues in Telemedicine

Technical issuesTechnical issuesappropriate appropriate

telecommunications telecommunications infrastructure must be in placeinfrastructure must be in place

not available in some rural and not available in some rural and urban areasurban areas

requires high bandwidth (cable requires high bandwidth (cable modem)modem)

Issues in TelemedicineIssues in Telemedicine

Insurance issuesInsurance issues insurance may not coverall telemedicineinsurance may not coverall telemedicine

Legal issuesLegal issues licensing laws differ in each statelicensing laws differ in each state liability is not clearliability is not clear

Privacy issuesPrivacy issues electronic medical record subject to misuseelectronic medical record subject to misuse HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996) Accountability Act of 1996)