<div dir="ltr">I have been involved with provider-to-provider telemedicine projects in remote areas in Cambodia, Ecuador, the the Congo for the past 7 years. We have found huge advantages by focusing on structured history-taking (text) and highest possible resolution still images... These have allowed for asynchronous low-bandwidth communication (important if time zones are different) and clear images if visual inspection is important (ie skin rashes, reviewing xrays, wounds, etc).<div>
<br></div><div>If you create some compelling case studies for the use of real-time video chat that has advantages over cell communication , we would certainly like to look for opportunities to pilot them at our clinical sites in Cambodia. Our project leverages Internet access at a hospital and a school in rural Cambodia, (which is one of hundreds of schools with Internet access - including a school sponsored by Negroponte!) </div>
<div><br></div><div>Thanks</div><div>Paul</div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 9:24 PM, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:david@lang.hm">david@lang.hm</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class="Ih2E3d">On Mon, 13 Oct 2008, Paul Heinzelmann wrote:<br>
<br>
</div><div class="Ih2E3d"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I sense that there are a lot of new and yet-to-be-discovered ways to use<br>
these kind of low-bandwidth capabilities for health (including consultation,<br>
collaboration, and education). The perceived value of these will always be<br>
user-dependent and likely require a trial and error approach.<br>
<br>
In terms of a role for clinical consultation: The tough sell, in my<br>
opinion, is to engage specialists who are expected to diagnose. The more<br>
appropriate role for video function may be to simply triage patients and<br>
make simple decisions rather than definitively diagnose or assess patients.<br>
</blockquote>
<br></div>
the key thing to remember is that in many cases the alternative isn't a in-person visit to the specialist, it's going without professional diagnosis entirely.<br>
<br>
David Lang<div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Just food for thought. Best wishes<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
<br>
On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM, Martin Langhoff<br>
<<a href="mailto:martin.langhoff@gmail.com" target="_blank">martin.langhoff@gmail.com</a>>wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
2008/10/14 <<a href="mailto:david@lang.hm" target="_blank">david@lang.hm</a>>:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
but those are not all cases.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
exactly. There's a lot of fun to be had, and a lot to learn with this.<br>
Might be useful in some cases (perhaps growing number of cases, if<br>
connectivity improves over time) and more things become viable.<br>
<br>
For health purposes, it will probably not be useful, except for a tiny<br>
% of cases. If people want health tools, that's a different project.<br>
<br>
Let's refocus that camera on collaboration and education.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
m<br>
--<br>
<a href="mailto:martin.langhoff@gmail.com" target="_blank">martin.langhoff@gmail.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:martin@laptop.org" target="_blank">martin@laptop.org</a> -- School Server Architect<br>
- ask interesting questions<br>
- don't get distracted with shiny stuff - working code first<br>
- <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Martinlanghoff" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Martinlanghoff</a><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Paul Heinzelmann, MD</div><div>Operation Village Health</div><div><br><br><br>
</div></div>