“It is quicker, easier and more cost-effective not to use telemedicine.” This is the conclusion of a recent Australian study that investigated the current perceived use and usefulness of telemedicine.
The good old fax machine, introduced in the 70’s, has been more successful in winning over health care professionals than most electronic internet tools. The reason is simple: Sending a fax is easy, there is no need to log in, select, save, or surf. Sensitive data is secure and a signature can be placed on faxed documents. Someone else can send your fax while you continue seeing patients.
When I discuss a clinical problem with a colleague I use the phone and occasionally I fax over some data, unless the doctor uses encrypted email software – and I know his email address – in that case I may send him an email. The problem is that the colleague in question is in about 50% of the time not available. Vice versa, when colleagues are trying to ring me back, I am often consulting and unable to take the call.
The solution
What I am looking for is a social network that consists of all the colleagues in my direct network, including allied health professionals and specialists at different locations. I would like to be able to see who is online and who isn’t. In fact, the software should let others in my network know when I am closing a patient record, which usually means I am free to communicate with other health professionals. The network needs to be secure and fast.
This SM software package should be able to talk to my clinical software (or be part of it) and with 2 clicks of the mouse I want to be able to select and securely upload demographic and clinical patient data (like date of birth, blood pressure, ECG’s etc) to the network – nicely presented on a single screen. Other doctors should be able to read and comment on clinical problems I post. And last but not least the software should contain a Skype like video conferencing tool that can be used while looking at the patient data on the screen at the same time.
This should not be too hard, one would say. Can the clever software developers who are able to overcome the technical and medicolegal issues please stand up? I’d like to get rid of my fax machine soon!
