The Virtual Hospital: The Emergence of Telemedicine
Danny Petrasek
California Institute of Technology
Pas
a
dena, California, USA
danny_petrasek@yahoo.com
Alan Barr
California Institute of Technology
Pas
a
dena, California, USA
barr@cs.caltech.edu
Krishna V. Palem
Rice University
Houston, Texas, USA
kvp1@rice.edu
Categories and Sub
ject Descriptors
J.4 Computer Appl
ications; SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL
SCIENCES
General Terms
:
Documentation
The current practice of medicine
, while utilizing the advances
in biological and physical science, still takes place in the
physician office or hospital. Unfortunately, traditional practice
as integrated into the current Healthcare system is
unsustainable. Accommodating the increase demand for
medical services with the attendant rising costs has caused a
crisis in healthcare.
Telemedicine, the practice of medicine by means of
mobile/internet is a transformative process that will impact
healthcare globally. Already, teleradiology (diagnostic
radiology remotely by means of digital images that are
electronically exported) and electronic medical records are
gaining wide acceptance. The ability to distribute medical
services by means of mobile and internet technology is a
natural and almost irresistible direction for the field of
Medicine.
The healthcare crisis has created an opportunity for new
solutions and mobile/Internet technology has laid the
infrastructure upon which one can build a powerful, innovative
and badly needed platform for health services: The Global
Virtual Hospital (GVH). The GVH will be a group of
connected centers around the world that overlap (in time
zones) throughout the working day. Patients will have access
through the Internet or mobile phones. Medical records will be
electronically stored, shared among authorized personal and
updated with each medical interaction. The GVH, will serve as
a platform and laboratory for the creation of innovative devices
and technology that will improve the remote interaction.The
Global Virtual Hospital System will exemplify the
convergence of technology and medicine and will be
integrated into standard practice in the next 5-10 years.
Copyright is held by
the author/owner(s).
CASES’10
, October 24–29, 2010, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
ACM 978-1-60558-903-9/10/10..
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