“Both in the United States and around the globe there is a mismatch between needed medical care and the doctors who can provide it. Most physicians are located in urban areas where there are hospitals, teaching schools, lab and Xray and specialists to deal with most every medical condition. Rural areas in the United States lack these resources and patients either do without, or must travel far to be seen. In developing countries there may be no services at all for hundreds of miles. That is where telehealth can play a huge role in bringing medicine to the people.
The “In-touch” robot is one technology that can work all over the world. Through a simple lap-top computer a doctor can reach out across the globe and “see and be seen” by the patient and have a conversation with the patient. The robot is mobile and can be remotely navigated from room to room (or hospital bed to hospital bed) and “visit” the patient. A dermatologist can see the skin and recommend treatment. The robot can perform electronic stethoscope, otoscope and ultrasound and transmit that data back to the physician.”
Article
Toni Brayer, Better Health, 31 October 2011
