Decision Support Systems used in Disaster Management
Marius Cioca, Lucian-Ionel Cioc · InTech eBooks · 2010
Telemedicine can be defined as the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to deliver medical services and information from one location to another.In other words, telemedicine can be seen as a way of distributing medical expertise and services to medically underserviced areas such as remote and rural areas using ICT as a communication platform.Though any communication system can be used in telemedicine, rapid development in computer technology and easiness to purchase has led to more amenability to computer-based telemedicine technologies which are IP-based.Services offered by telemedicine are designed to help improve healthcare access and information service while reducing the isolation of healthcare providers and residents in rural areas.Telemedicine can also reduce the time and allay the costs of rural patient transportation significantly.Telemedicine includes applications in areas such as pathology and radiology, as well as consultations in specialties such as neurology, dermatology, cardiology, and general medicine.Telemedicine is also used for Continued Medical Education (CME), administration, research and development.Table 1 shows a summary of telemedicine application categories. Initial urgent evaluation of patients, triage decisions, and pre-transfer arrangements. Medical and surgical follow-up and medication checks. Supervision and consultation for primary care encounters in sites where a physician is not available. Routine consultation and second opinions based on history, physical exam findings, and available test data. Transmission of diagnostic images. Extended diagnostic work-ups or short-term management of self-limited conditions. Management of chronic diseases and conditions requiring a specialist not available locally. Transmission of medical data.