Visualisation of the Internet by The Opte Project.

Visualisation of the Internet by The Opte Project.

The benefits of telemedicine are multiple and increase as the application of telecommunications technologies in the medical environment increases. The phenomenon, moreover, is not restricted to one socio-economic group: this is to say that telemedicine can be seen to be deployed in both first and third world countries for the treatment of chronic conditions as well as the diagnosing of previously untreated ailments.

“Tele” is of Greek origin, and means, in more-or-less literal translation, “remote” or “from a distance”. The first advantage to both medical practitioners and to patients is that the obstacle imposed by having to travel sometimes considerable distances is removed. In third world countries, where large portions of the population live in rural areas and where the number of medical professionals per capita is low, this means that many who previously had no access to a practitioner now do.

In Southern Africa (and I’m here referring to South Africa, Namibia and Botswana specifically) there are vast tracts of desert region with communities who live in virtual isolation from the rest of the world. Economic conditions often prevent doctors from setting up practices in these small villages/towns, especially when their services are also needed in urban areas. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have allowed these communities to access trained professionals for the purposes of examination and the monitoring of pre-diagnosed, chronic conditions. High quality video streaming gives a doctor a first person view of the patient and allows him/her to ask the patient relevant questions. Medical monitoring technology can simultaneously transfer other data to the treating doctor: this data might include, but is not restricted to, heart rate, blood sugar levels, haemoglobin levels, cholesterol, and etc.

The combination of these technologies means that the medical professional is afforded a highly accurate image of what a particular patient’s condition/state of health might be. As the prohibitive factors involved with travelling are removed, the doctor is able to review multiple cases remotely, thereby expanding the beneficial reach of medical science. The corollary advantage associated with the traversing of prohibitive distances is that the cost of patient care (the accumulative total incurred in expenses) is reduced. For low income earners, this could mean the difference between life and death, or, for chronic disease suffers, the difference between a decent quality of life and unbearable conditions.

This is no mean achievement, and as the practises of telemedicine gain a better foothold in developing countries, the technologies involved will get better and be tailored, much like specialised sports clothing, for their specific purpose.

In first world countries where distance is not as great an obstacle as it is for many rural communities, time and cost can nonetheless be reduced through telemedicine practices. Remote monitoring (mentioned elsewhere on this site) can monitor critical bio signals associated with chronic conditions. Heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc., readings can be sent to a professional for interpretation without a patient actually having to make a face to face appointment for these readings to be taken. The doctor’s time, as well as the patient’s, is saved and can be put to use in seeing more individuals who need treatment. Reliable monitoring also means that hospital stays can be shortened as patients can be checked up on through accessing the devices reading vital statistics. Medical authorities can also be immediately alerted should something go wrong.

The reduction of treatment costs directly translates into a greater access to medical facilities for a greater number of people. Telemedicine might not revolutionise the medical environment, but it might well revolutionise the numbers of people who have access to quality professionals as well as the costs involved with professional diagnosis and on-going treatment.