Cyber medicine.
This week’s lecture covered technology’s role in the development of modern medicine. Communications technology is expanding access to medical care to parts of the world that lack even the most basic infrastructure. Through programs like Telemedicine and Mhealth this field is being pioneered. However it is also helping expand medical research and care in developed countries with sites such as Patients like me and Web MD. In the rapidly developing field of online medicine the role doctors and drug companies is changing.
During class the professor mentioned that using ICTs and technology like MMS and video chatting, a patient’s condition can be diagnosed with an 80% accuracy rate. While this is far from the current US standards, it is a giant leap forward for medicine in developing countries. With access to the right ICTs and correct medical personal, the need for “the village doctor” is diminished. Pharmaceutical companies are also expanding their drug tests to developing regions is the hopes of better understanding the effects of their drugs since the patients are not taking other drugs that many conflict with the results. (As opposed to the United States and Europe where a person is taking on average six different pills at a time). Being able to get a diagnosis and obtain the correct medicine without a prescribe cuts out the need to see a doctor and reduces the cost of medical care.
I am doubtful that technology could ever come to completely replace a physician, however there is currently a great lack of medical personnel in the world due to rapidly expanding populations. Some countries have ratios as small as .06 doctors per ever 1000 people (Numbers Here). Technology and ICTs can play a crucial role in improving medical care in populations such as these where it would take years to train doctors. Not every situation requires a full-fledged doctor. Teams of a few carefully trained surgeons in basic procedures and nurses supplemented by ITC’s linked to a medical data center and lead by a head professional physician could drastically improve medical care for thousands.
This week’s lecture covered technology’s role in the development of modern medicine. Communications technology is expanding access to medical care to parts of the world that lack even the most basic infrastructure. Through programs like Telemedicine and Mhealth this field is being pioneered. However it is also helping expand medical research and care in developed countries with sites such as Patients like me and Web MD. In the rapidly developing field of online medicine the role doctors and drug companies is changing.
During class the professor mentioned that using ICTs and technology like MMS and video chatting, a patient’s condition can be diagnosed with an 80% accuracy rate. While this is far from the current US standards, it is a giant leap forward for medicine in developing countries. With access to the right ICTs and correct medical personal, the need for “the village doctor” is diminished. Pharmaceutical companies are also expanding their drug tests to developing regions is the hopes of better understanding the effects of their drugs since the patients are not taking other drugs that many conflict with the results. (As opposed to the United States and Europe where a person is taking on average six different pills at a time). Being able to get a diagnosis and obtain the correct medicine without a prescribe cuts out the need to see a doctor and reduces the cost of medical care.
I am doubtful that technology could ever come to completely replace a physician, however there is currently a great lack of medical personnel in the world due to rapidly expanding populations. Some countries have ratios as small as .06 doctors per ever 1000 people (Numbers Here). Technology and ICTs can play a crucial role in improving medical care in populations such as these where it would take years to train doctors. Not every situation requires a full-fledged doctor. Teams of a few carefully trained surgeons in basic procedures and nurses supplemented by ITC’s linked to a medical data center and lead by a head professional physician could drastically improve medical care for thousands.
The professor mentioned that some doctors are worried that their prestige will suffer and that they will loose influence in the medical, field. However I believe that in the future and with the expansion of technology, a doctors worth and prestige will be measured by what they contribute to the medical data bases used by other doctors.
In addition I conducted an interview with Dr. Boop about how ITCs are changing the field of neurology and effecting patient care.
Doctor Boop (also Scott Boop's Dad if any of you had the pleasure of meeting him when he was here two weeks ago) is Chairman and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at LeBonheur Hospital. His full bio can be found here https://www.semmes-murphey.com/dr_bio.php?dr_id=6. He is one of the leading physicians in his field and an active member of The Society of Neurological Surgeons. I cannot say enough about his accomplishments and character.
The quality of the interview is very very poor but here are the questions I was asking.
Interview questions with Doctor Boop.
In addition I conducted an interview with Dr. Boop about how ITCs are changing the field of neurology and effecting patient care.
Doctor Boop (also Scott Boop's Dad if any of you had the pleasure of meeting him when he was here two weeks ago) is Chairman and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at LeBonheur Hospital. His full bio can be found here https://www.semmes-murphey.com/dr_bio.php?dr_id=6. He is one of the leading physicians in his field and an active member of The Society of Neurological Surgeons. I cannot say enough about his accomplishments and character.
The quality of the interview is very very poor but here are the questions I was asking.
In your field how often do you use technology to communicate with other doctors? other patients?
Have your heard of other doctors using technology to diagnosis patients?
How do you think doctors will react to their patients being able to obtain the majority of the information about their conditions online rather than visiting a doctor?
In a field as complex as neurosurgery do you think it is possible to practice through intermediaries?
How do you feel about sites like Patients Like Me? What about sites like Web MD?
What do you think are some down sides to the use of technology for communication between doctors and patients?
Have your heard of other doctors using technology to diagnosis patients?
How do you think doctors will react to their patients being able to obtain the majority of the information about their conditions online rather than visiting a doctor?
In a field as complex as neurosurgery do you think it is possible to practice through intermediaries?
How do you feel about sites like Patients Like Me? What about sites like Web MD?
What do you think are some down sides to the use of technology for communication between doctors and patients?
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