May 07
(a)
(i) GHz(gigahertz) is commonly used to measure the speed of a processor in a computer. Hz (Hertz) is a unit of frequency and literary means a complete cycle per second. Therefore, GHz means 1 billion cycles per second. The computer will run faster if there are more GHz of processor.
(ii) The 1 GHz refers to the system clock of the processor. System clock is controls the timing of all operations that are done on the computer.
(b)
Microphone - It detects the analogue voice of the user so that it can be inputted in a computer. This may be an individual hardware that is placed around the computer but this may also be built in the computer.
Wireless - Wireless connection will avoid the usage of cables in order to connect the mirophone to the computer. This is especially important for people with disabilies because there will be flexibility in the position of the mircrophone.
(c)
The user must first train the voice acitivated system because the system needs to be adjusted to the user's voice. Because different people have difference tone, loudness, and pitch in their voice, the system needs to organize themself so that the voice can be interpreted. This is important because the system may detect the voice but may interpreted in a wrong way. Then, the command will be wrong, which will be a problem.
(d)
The improvement in technology has increased the use of voice activated systems and other IT resourses to aid the disabled people.
The voice activated systems or voice recognition will help people who cannot type an opportunity to interact with the computer through voice, without touching it. For example, if a person cannot use his hand, they can speak in order to command the computer. In other words, this allows users to have hand free use of the computer.
Voice recognition will increase productivity of the disabled people because they can now input data into the computer faster. Some disable people take a lot of type typing. However, the microphone will detect the user's voice so the process will flow faster.
Because the computer is an essential way in education, the disabled people will have a better opportunity to learn, just as an ordinary people. They can research on the Internet and use various software that will definitley facilitate and accelerate their education.
Because these devices increase opportunity for these diabled people to use computers, they will have more connection to the outside world. This is because they now have connection to the Internet so they can communicate with others through the network. For example, just as an ordinary person, a disabled people can use e-mail in order to send messages to other (such as friends and relatives). Patients who are in hospitals can use skype or any other videoconferencing software in order to contact with others. Disabled people can be more social by using these devices.
Here are the benefits for the disabled people using these helpful IT resources. The improvement in technology has definitley improve the life of the disabled people.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Online Pharmacy SCAM/SPAM
What is online pharmacy?
Online pharmacy is a pharmacy that can be done through the Internet. In other words, the medication is requested and received via the Internet. The main purpose of the online pharmacy is to sell prescription or licensed drugs.
This is advantageous for patients because they can recieve medicines online, without going to the drug stores. The transaction of money and medicine is done throught the Internet and the product is sent to the patient, so there is no need for travel and its travel cost. In addtion, this is especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot get out of their homes. Therefore, online pharmacy increases convinience in the patient. On the other hand, this is also advantageous to the sellers because many people use the Internet now days so there will be more customers and their profit will increase.
However, there are also disadvantages and some issues to this. This sytem can only be used by users who have internet connection (equaltity of access). In addition, there are issues of reliability and authenticity on whether the product sent to the patient is the "real" thing that he/she desired. The pharmacy must be reliable in order to sell their product. In addition, there are security and privacy issues because personal accounts will be made in order to participate in this. While there is an increase in popularity of online pharmacies, there is also an increase in scam and spam that are not desired.
Online pharmacy is a pharmacy that can be done through the Internet. In other words, the medication is requested and received via the Internet. The main purpose of the online pharmacy is to sell prescription or licensed drugs.
This is advantageous for patients because they can recieve medicines online, without going to the drug stores. The transaction of money and medicine is done throught the Internet and the product is sent to the patient, so there is no need for travel and its travel cost. In addtion, this is especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot get out of their homes. Therefore, online pharmacy increases convinience in the patient. On the other hand, this is also advantageous to the sellers because many people use the Internet now days so there will be more customers and their profit will increase.
However, there are also disadvantages and some issues to this. This sytem can only be used by users who have internet connection (equaltity of access). In addition, there are issues of reliability and authenticity on whether the product sent to the patient is the "real" thing that he/she desired. The pharmacy must be reliable in order to sell their product. In addition, there are security and privacy issues because personal accounts will be made in order to participate in this. While there is an increase in popularity of online pharmacies, there is also an increase in scam and spam that are not desired.
What is scam?
Scam generally refers to fraud thats done through the Internet; some use spams in order to do it. It advertises a product with a low price - althought the actual price is much more expensive. In addition, scams may include e-mail messages that have links to illegal websites. This is definitely a crime but it is difficult to identify this it is.
What is spam?
Spams are unsolicited e-mail that is indiscriminantly sent to the others. Spam is generally annoying if they many of them because it takes time to check them and to eliminate them. If these spams pile up, the users account will be full of capacity and the user would not be able to use his e-mail. There is no perfect way of elimininating all spams. However, there are ways in which the number of spams can be reduced. For example, a filter system is a software that will identify whether the incoming software is a spam or an regual e-mail. However, this has a limitation in that not all spams can be filtered because it is done through artificial intelligence. In this decade the number of spams has been exponentially increase and many of these are simply advertisements. The purpose of this spam is to advertise a product (sometimes drugs) or even there may be malware attached to it. This will cost money to the users because they should purchase anti-spam software. It is unethical to do these illegal acts to someone else.
Here is a video that discuss how to avoid spam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYIQ7N-KrjM
Issues
- The users will be charged with high price product when it is suppose to be much lower
- Time consuming and irritating
- Difficult to distinguish between real e-mail and scam/spam
- Lack in reliability
- It will be a serious health issue if the patient receive the inappropriate medicine and takes it.
- Some patients might purchase drugs that are unnecessary to them
Bibliography
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/online-pharmacies/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_spam
Patient Monitoring
What is patient monitoring?Patient monitoring is when the doctors or the nurses observe the patient in hostpitals, especially in emergency rooms. This is not only physically monitoring the patient but this is also done through monitoring camera. The doctors and nurses can monitor the patient from a distant place. In this way, the doctors and nurses can be aware of the patient anytime and they can immediately cope and react to them whenever something happens. The patients can have intensive and careful care if they are monitored. This is especially used when a patient is infected by a contagious virus. By monitoring the patient, this will drastically decrease the chance of spreading the virus.
The doctors and nurses can also observe the blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and other important information that should be monitored.
IT system used
- Monitoring camera
- Sensores
- Wireless: Provide more confort and mobility to the patient because they can move without the wires.
Here is a video that talks about how wireless technology is beneficial in monitoring patients:
Advantages
- The doctors and nurses can respond to the patient's needs immediately - effective especially when emergent situations.
- Careful and intensive care
- Increase productivity - less time consuming compared to phyisically monitoring the patients.
Disadvantages and issues
- Privacy: This is the most major issue in patient monitoring. Because the patients are monitors, there will be no sense of privacy in them. The privacy of the patient will be lost.
- The doctors and the nurses must continue to observe the patient, which is time consuming and a lot of labor.
Bibliography
Monday, December 7, 2009
Medical Advice Online + CD
What is medical advice online?
Medical advice online is a way of getting medical knowledge through the Internet. There are many websites on the Internet that provide medical advices. In this way, the users are enabled to gain further knowledge and awareness to their health. In other words, this is one type of telemedicine that is mentioned before. Furthermore, similar to diagnosis software, medical advice online uses expert system. The websites will ask the patient series of questions (often about symptoms) and the patients will be guided towards the solution depending on their own answer. In the end, there will be an advice to the patient (usually possible treatments). Rather than visiting the actual doctor face by face, the patient can gain relevant information by himself. The advice was given through CDs in the past, however, these are not used these days due to the increase in popularity of the Internet.
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
- Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
http://www.webmd.com/
Medical advice online is a way of getting medical knowledge through the Internet. There are many websites on the Internet that provide medical advices. In this way, the users are enabled to gain further knowledge and awareness to their health. In other words, this is one type of telemedicine that is mentioned before. Furthermore, similar to diagnosis software, medical advice online uses expert system. The websites will ask the patient series of questions (often about symptoms) and the patients will be guided towards the solution depending on their own answer. In the end, there will be an advice to the patient (usually possible treatments). Rather than visiting the actual doctor face by face, the patient can gain relevant information by himself. The advice was given through CDs in the past, however, these are not used these days due to the increase in popularity of the Internet.
Here is an interesting website that gives some advice on the swing flue that has recently been spreading all around the world:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSDirect/Pages/nhsdlanding.aspx
IT technology used
- User friendly
- Expert system
- Database: all information stored
- Internet connection
- Wireless
Advantages
- Users can gain knowledge at home
- No transportation and also its cost - especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot move from their homes
- Time efficient - immediate solution
Disadvantage and issues
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
- Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
http://www.webmd.com/
Drug Development and Marketing
What is drug development and marketing?
The improvement of technology has also develeped the area of drugs or medicines. Because these medicines can now be delivered through the interation of the Internet, this increase the opportunity for marketing. Especially in Japan, this is required due to the aging population that needs these medicine. The knowlege of health and medicine has been spread throughout many countries (even developing countries). Drug development is when new medicines are introduced to the society. However, these medicines must go under research, investigation, and tesiting in order for it to go on the market. This process is done in five to ten years because it need careful care. Drug marketing is when drugs are bought and sold through the Internet.
Here is a video that talks about how drug development is processd in the modern world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqxqotelP9c
Advantage
- Equality of access: These development and marketing will allow many people in the world to receive medication. Because these markets are online, medicines can be provided in cheaper prices (even to the developing countries).
- Globilization and cultural diversity: There will be many information traded online. This means that there will be more globiliztation in the medical society.
- More products can be sold, which will increase revenue for the producers.
Disadvantage
- Patients may take unnesessary medicine
- Possibility for fraud
- Reliability and authenticity: The medicine that are put on market may not be the medicine that it is suppose to be. The market must have reliable in order for the patients to take the medicines without any questions or worries.
- Privacy and security: Because personal information is presented such as credit card number on the Internet, privacy may be lost. Therefore, there must be suffient security.
Bibliography
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_development
Diagnosis Software
What is diagnosis software?
A diagnosis software in health enables users to identify their health problem by asking and answering relevant questions to the paitient. Based on the responses of the patient, the diagnosis software can ask other detailed and specific questions and finally come up with a possible solution. Furthermore, the software will automatically provide some possible treatments. These software generally asks questions about the symptoms or anything relevant to the circumstance the patient is in. In other words, the patient guides the diagnosis software in order to identify the problem.
In addition, there are medical diagnosis available online on the Internet website.
In this website, there are many buttons that indicate the possible symptoms of the patient. By clikcing the botton, the patient goes ahead to the next page that asks more detailed questions. For example, there are specific detailed yes/no questions.
Here is a video clip that talks about diagnosis software:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG2XXuJc5_8
In this video, a medical professure from Gifu University (Japan) is talking about how his medical students are using diagnosis software to train themselves in real-life situation where they will diagnose the problem of their patients. In other words, the students can virtually practice medical diagnosis.
IT system used
- Expert system: Decides on what questions to given to the patient.
- Database: All the questions and possible solutions are stored here.
- User friendly: The questions are easy to follow most of the time.
Advantages
- Quick solution
- Easy to follow
- Patients can find their illness at home using the Internet.
- No transportation: Especially beneficial to those who are ill or injured.
- No transportation costs
Disadvantages and issues
- The solutions are not definite
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
Prosthetic Device
What is prosthetic device?
Prosthetic device is an artifical supporting device that is attached to human body. This is maily used for people who are missing a body part - and these devices function just as these body parts. For example, even if a person is missing an arm, they can attach prosthetic devices onto themselve - just as the picture below.. In this way, it reduces the inconvenience of the patient. In addition, these devices are also used for people who are injured. These may include heart simulation, hand, and limbs.
Prosthetic device is an artifical supporting device that is attached to human body. This is maily used for people who are missing a body part - and these devices function just as these body parts. For example, even if a person is missing an arm, they can attach prosthetic devices onto themselve - just as the picture below.. In this way, it reduces the inconvenience of the patient. In addition, these devices are also used for people who are injured. These may include heart simulation, hand, and limbs.
This article talks about a disable person who will attempt to complete a "marathon" race by using prosthetic legs. He mentions that this is a very challenging thing to do, however, he is still confident can trust the device.
- Software must be reliable and bug free
- Expert system and artificial intelligence
- Sensors
- Wirelss, infrared, bluetoothe
- User friendly
- Users must be trained to use them
Advantages
- Provide flexibility and convinience in life for users who have missing body parts. They can use their body just as an ordinary people can.
- Supports and aids user's life
Disadvantages and issues
- Reliablitiy: The hardware must be reliable so that the users do not need to worry about the functions. The prosthetic device must consistently do what is commanded. If there are some bugs or errors in the command, this may lead to disasterous situations to the user.
- There may be economical issues of cost. Not every users can afford this expensive device.
- Equality of access: Not every people in the world can use this device. People who can afford the cost can only have access to this device.
- There are some questions about the safety of the devices.
- People an machines: If these devices take place over many works that humans usually do, users will be overdependent on these devices.
This video talks about a user having pain in his leg when using the prosthetic legs. According to this video, these pains are still one of the issues that must be improved in the future. Please watch this video because it also talks about the mirror therapy which is very INTERESTING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_6OMPywnQ
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_limb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosthesis
http://airex.tksc.jaxa.jp/pl/dr/19960033280
Camera Pills
What is camera pill?Camera pill is a minature capsule that is put into a human body in order to take records of images or videos of the internal body. The patient can swallow the camera pill that consists of light, transmitter, and batteries. In this way, the doctor and the patient can see inside the body at moment the camera pill is put inside the body. The camera will take approximately over 50,000 pictures throughout the body. The images will be transmitted to a recording device so that the doctors can analyze it. The patients virtually feel nothing and the camera pill is naturally disposed through the digestive system out of the waste.
The great advantage is that camera pills will enable to avoid painful and time consuming methods that were done. However, there are some economical concerns about the costs of this device.
Here is a video that introduces further in depth about this camera pill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlQN3c04mu0
IT system used
- Monitor
- Batteries
- Light
- Wireless: The image is sent through wireless network
- User friendly
http://www.medicinenet.com/capsule_endoscopy/page2.htm
This article above talks about the limitations of the camera pills. Although the improvement in technology has enabled us to use these convenient devices, the images are still unclear with low quality. There are some concerns that these images are so difficult to identify the patient's illness. Therefore, this limitation must be refined.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2319249.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_endoscopy
ITGS textbook pg. 35
Robotic Surgery
What is robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery is the use of robots in order to do medical surgery. This type of surgery has increasingly been used now days due to the improvement of technology.
Robotic surgery is the use of robots in order to do medical surgery. This type of surgery has increasingly been used now days due to the improvement of technology.
This video shows one part of surgery of human heart done by using robots with precise explanation with it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suJahF9VCe4
I was amazed with this video that the robots can do surgery inside the body without openning (or cutting) the patients body.
IT system used
- Robotic arms
- Artificial intelligence
- Handles (joystick)
- Well trained doctors who can manipulate the device
Advantages
- Surgery can be done in remote areas: The doctors can control the robots in distant places
- Precision and miniturization of surgery
- Less pain and scaring for the patient - the incision is only 30 cm.
- Less recovery time
- Less people needed to do a surgery
- Robots do not get tired but humans do
Disadvantages and issues
- Reliability: Because the doctor is not doing the survery at the spot, with his OWN hands, there is a question of reliablity in the robots.
- People and machines: If technology improves and most of the surgery is done by using robots, doctors will be overdependent on these devices. As mentioned before, there are less people needed to do a surgery. However, this will lead to less opportunity for the doctors to do their job, which will increase unemployment.
- Economically, the cost of purphasing the robot is expensive
- Size: The robots are generally huge and takes up a lot of space.
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotic_surgery
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00760/Advantages%20of%20Robotic%20Surgery.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00760/Disadvantages%20of%20Robotic%20Surgery.htm
Medical Network Security
What is medical network security?Because the doctors are reliable to keep the patient's medical information safe, they must have good quality securities. This will especially be used when files are transfered through the network. The hospital and the doctors must be careful of external attackes such from hakcers to mainitan the private information safe. This is advantageous because the data will be secure and this will prevent privacy issues. However, this is sometimes disadvantageous because the doctors must maintain these medical network security, which may be time consuming. Here are some software that are used to ensure network security:
Firewalls
Generally speaking, firewalls are in every computers. This is a software that prevents and blocks malicious virus or any other unauthorized access to enter the computer. The hospitals and doctors must have updated high quality firewalls so that the precious data will be safe from external attacks. At the same time, important and needed information can enter the computer. This is called filtering information.
Anti-virus software
Similar to the firewall, anit-virus software detect, prevent, and eliminate malware that is entering the computer. This is one way of maintaining security of the data. If the computer is Windows, one typical anti-virus software is "Norton Anti-virus Software". Therefore, just as firewalls, the hosptial must update these vital software.
Virtual private network
Virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses public telecommunictaion such as the Internet to give security to users who are in remote areas. In this way, the patients can access the hospitals networks safely. The data will be secure when the files are transfered throught the Internet. By encrypting the data, the information cannot be viewed by other users who are not authorized to it. The advantage to this VPN is that they provide good security with low cost.
Here is a video that explains further about VPN and talks about the IPSec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEVILmhg9Cg
Authentication
Users must input their password and user name in order to access ther online account through the network from remote areas. In this way, authentic patients and doctors can only have access and is able to eliminate the other unauthorized users.
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid200_gci213324,00.html http://www.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm
Ethics of Telemedicine
There are many ethical issues that must be considered when using telemedicine
Authentication
Generally speaking, the information of the telemedicine is available to many doctors all around the world. Therefore, the doctors must be authentic or authorized in the area of telemedicine in order to practice this. In other words, the doctors must be have the right ability to treat the patients. For example, the doctors may be required to have liscence in order to do telemedicine in a certain area- this is one way to authenticate the doctor. The patients will not desire to do telemedicine if they do not know whether the doctor is a true doctor or not.
Relationship between doctor and patient
There must be a pleasant relationship between the doctor and the patient. To do this, the doctor must respect the patient and the patient must respect the doctor as well. In addition, confidentiallity must be maintained with in the doctor and the patient regarding to privacy, personal information. In this way, there will be reliablility and trust between the doctor and the patient, which will lead to a pleasant relationship.
Responsibility of the doctor
The doctor must be responsible to his advice and decision that he/she gives to the patient. In this way, the patients can trust the doctor and there will be no worries in them. In addition, because telemedicine is regarding to the health of the patient, it is essential for the doctors to give suitable advices.
Security and privacy
The data of the patients must be secure. There may be hackers who intend to steal the data. However, these data must be safe because it may lead to other issues such as privacy. If the data is stolen, the privacy of the patient will be lost.
The doctors must be aware of these issues. In addition, if this telemedicine requires monitoring of the patient, this will also lead to the loss of privacy which is sometimes undesirable for patients.
This information is based on this ariticle:
http://www.laakariliitto.fi/e/ethics/telemed.html
This website talks about many other issues aroused in telemedicine:http://telemed.org/legal/
Electronic Health Records
What is electronic health records?
Electronic health records (EHR) is a collection of electronic records of health information for individual patients. Furthermore, these data can be electronically be transfered between doctors, patients, and others users throught a network connection. These records are often shared within an institution - in other words, within a single hospital. In other rare cases, the information can be transfered between one institution to another wiht a particluar special reason - for example, when a patients transfers the hosptial. These records may consist of the patient's personal background, medical history, medication, allergies, and any other relevant information. Because the data is electronically recorded, the information of the patient is clearly organized.
- Internet connecton: Files can be transfered through network
- Wireless
Electronic health records (EHR) is a collection of electronic records of health information for individual patients. Furthermore, these data can be electronically be transfered between doctors, patients, and others users throught a network connection. These records are often shared within an institution - in other words, within a single hospital. In other rare cases, the information can be transfered between one institution to another wiht a particluar special reason - for example, when a patients transfers the hosptial. These records may consist of the patient's personal background, medical history, medication, allergies, and any other relevant information. Because the data is electronically recorded, the information of the patient is clearly organized.
This video talks about how electronic health records are beneficial to the doctors as well as the patients:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQJwTnCAASo
This article talks about how electronic health records is organzied:
http://www.ihs.gov/cio/ehr/
IT system used
- Internet connecton: Files can be transfered through network
- Wireless
Advantages
- The data can be easily stored, organzied, filtered, and found, efficient.
- Because the data is electronic, there is less chance of loosing it phisically.
- There is no need for space to store phiscially
- Saves paper
- The information can be transfer through the Internet so the patients can see their information at home and doctors can easily transfer information, especially when the dotor changes.
- The patient and the doctor can view their history and this is important in some situations such as periodic medical checks.
- Globalization and cultural diversity: Because the data can be transfered through the Internet, the patient's record can be viewed by many doctors even overseas.
- Equality of access: May people can access their own medical records if they have an Internet connection and if the doctor permits this.
Disadvantages and issues
- Privacy of data: Because this consists of personal information, they must be kept private.
- Security of data: There must be good security because the data consists of personal information which may lead to privacy issues.
- Integrity of data: Hackeers or any other users may change the data of the record which may lead to disasterous situation especially because these are regarding to human health.
- Authenticity of data: The data of the record must correspond to the actual patient.
Bibliography
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1887658,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_health_record
http://www.iqpc.com/Event.aspx?id=211584
Telemedicine
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is a medical treatment when medical information is delivered from one place to another via the phone, the Internet, or any other communicating methods. By using this treatment, the patients can consult with the doctors, diagnose a health problem, and ask for medical procedures or explainations, despite being at remote areas. The main purpose of telemedicine is to improve health care by providing both the patients and the doctors with convinience. Telemedicine was mailnly used through telephone. However, the improvement in technology rapidly increased the use of video-conferencing where patients and doctors can discuss face by face.
The transaction of medical information is not only done between patients and doctors but also between doctors and other doctors. These doctors may discuss about a particular patient's illness by collaborating and giving each other their opinions in real time.
IT systems and technology used
- Telephone: Users can communicate by talking.
This video talks about how home care increase lives of seniors
Advantages
- Medical information can be transfered quickly in long distance
- Medical information is accessible to even rural areas
- Improve health care
Disadvantages and issues
Bibliography
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemedicine
- http://tie.telemed.org/articles/article.asp?path=telemed101&article=tmcoming_nb_tie96.xml
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_care
Telemedicine is a medical treatment when medical information is delivered from one place to another via the phone, the Internet, or any other communicating methods. By using this treatment, the patients can consult with the doctors, diagnose a health problem, and ask for medical procedures or explainations, despite being at remote areas. The main purpose of telemedicine is to improve health care by providing both the patients and the doctors with convinience. Telemedicine was mailnly used through telephone. However, the improvement in technology rapidly increased the use of video-conferencing where patients and doctors can discuss face by face.
The transaction of medical information is not only done between patients and doctors but also between doctors and other doctors. These doctors may discuss about a particular patient's illness by collaborating and giving each other their opinions in real time.Here is a video that talks about many cases where telemedicine save a child's life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Pg9FrOwmA
Here is an article that talks about the purpose of telemedicine in detail.
- Telephone: Users can communicate by talking.
- Video conferencing: Users can interact face to face with voice.
- Internet connection: This can allow users to transfer information online.
- Internet connection: This can allow users to transfer information online.
- Wireless, infra-red, bluetoothe: Information can be transfered without any phisical cables.
- Store and forward: This is used for transferring digital images from one place to another. Taking digital images is called "store" and sending it to another place, often within an institution (hospital) is called "forward".
Home care
Telemedice will increase the oppurtunity for home care. Home care is a type of health care that is done at home and not in hospitals. This is beneficial to patients because their home is much more comforatble than the hospital. Home care will alleviate the psychological worries of the patient. This type of care is possible because there is telemedice where medical information can be transfered through the Interent, in remote areas. Robots are used in order to assist the patient. However, these robots are economically high in cost and their reliablity is sometimes questioned. In addtion, the nurse may lose their jobs or there will be less oppurtunities for them, which will arouse the issue of unemployment.
This video talks about how home care increase lives of seniors
Advantages
- Medical information can be transfered quickly in long distance
- Medical information is accessible to even rural areas
- Improve health care
- Because doctors can communicate more frequently, there will be an imporvement in the study of health in general
- Better health outcomes
- Ealry detection of the illness or health problem, which may lead to early cure
- More training for doctors and patients about health
- Sometimes pressure to the patients because the outcomes will be detected early.
- The reliability of the medical information
- The ethics of telemedicine will be mentioned later in the blog entry.
- Economically high initial costs
Bibliography
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemedicine
- http://tie.telemed.org/articles/article.asp?path=telemed101&article=tmcoming_nb_tie96.xml
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_care
Introduction
Hello, my name is Yohei Onda. Thank you for visiting my blog!!! I am a student from St. Maur International School who is currently taking the IB ITGS SL course.This blog will dicuss about the uses of IT in health.
Here is a link to a video that explains how bluetooth is used in heath care:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AviokyS4fv0
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