Role of ICT in Health sector
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner
MRI is a way of getting pictures of various parts of your body without the use of x-rays, unlike regular x-rays pictures and CAT scans. A MRI scanner consists of a large and very strong magnet in which the patient lies. A radio wave antenna is used to send signals* to the body and then receive signals back. These returning signals are converted into pictures by a computer attached to the scanner. Pictures of almost any part of your body can be obtained at almost any particular angle. These "radio wave signals" are actually a varying or changing magnetic field that is much weaker than the steady, strong magnetic field of the main magnet.
Computer Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan
CAT scan is a method of combining images from multiple x-rays under the control of a computer to produce cross-sectional or three-dimensional pictures of the internal organs which can be used to identify abnormalities; the CAT scan can identify prostate enlargement but is not always effective for assessing the stage of prostate cancer; for evaluating metastases of the lymph nodes or more distant soft tissue sites, the CAT scan is significantly more accurate
A type of x-ray that can be used to diagnose the presence of the tumor
CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show several types of tissue - lung, bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels - with great clarity. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and interpret CT scans of the body; radiologists can more easily diagnose problems such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma, and musculoskeletal disorders. This is a patient-friendly exam that involves little radiation exposure.
What is EEG?
The EEG, or electroencephalograph, deserves mention as one of the first -- and still very useful -- ways of non-invasively observing human brain activity. An EEG is a recording of electrical signals from the brain made by hooking up electrodes to the subject's scalp. These electrodes pick up electric signals naturally produced by the brain and send them to galvanometers (instruments that detect and measure small electric currents) that are in turn hooked up to pens, under which graph paper moves continuously. The pens trace the signals onto the graph paper.
EEGs allow researchers to follow electrical impulses across the surface of the brain and observe changes over split seconds of time. An EEG can show what state a person is in -- asleep, awake, anaesthetized -- because the characteristic patterns of current differ for each of these states. One important use of EEGs has been to show how long it takes the brain to process various stimuli. A major drawback of EEGs, however, is that they cannot show us the structures.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine can be defined as the investigation, monitoring and management of patients, using systems, which allow ready access to expert advice and to patient information, no matter where the patient or relevant information is located. This involves the transfer of medical information from one location to another. Increasingly, computer technology will allow much of the work currently being carried out in hospital, to be carried out in people's homes, in an effort not only to improve the efficiency and standards of patient care, but to reduce its cost drastically.
Applications of Telemedicine
The primary applications of telemedicine are clinical, educational, administrative, and research.
Clinical applications include initial patient evaluations, diagnosis (telediagnosis), and
Consultation (teleconsultation). Physician supervision of non- physicians and monitoring of patient status are possible. Continuing education for professionals is available, as is patient and community education (tele-education). Administrative uses, such as conferences, scheduling, and utilization and quality review may be provided. Research is enhanced by aggregation of data from multiple sources and coordination.
Telemedicine allows access to the wealth of information available on the Internet. This allows information to be at the touch of a finger. The availability of e-mail allows an efficient mechanism of communication between consulting and primary physicians. Communication between facilities is enhanced.
Transmission and Equipment:
Text, images, and sound are transmitted. Text includes EKG results (heart tracings), lab results and patient records. Images range from still photographs to full motion imagery. Radiological images, slides and graphics may be transmitted, as well as voice and chest sounds.
The Benefits and challenges of Telemedicine:
Benefits
Telemedicine improves the mobility of patient care, and assists access to all kinds of medical information. The patient gets improved treatment, and scarce resources are used more efficiently, securing the reputation of Healthcare Telemedicine as the future of medicine. However, there are telemedicine networks where the excess capacity of rural facilities can be tapped into to benefit urban patients. It is possible that during peak times rural physicians may be accessed via telemedicine to provide more timely care to patients waiting in congested urban emergency rooms.
Challenges
Several obstacles remain with regard to the effectiveness of telemedicine.
• Legal issues regarding physician licensing, liability, and patient confidentiality exist. As physicians are licensed by states or countries, this presents a legal problem when physician consults cross state or country.
• Liability is an obstacle in providing telemedicine. There is debate related to which physician would be liable for a poor patient outcome, the primary care or the consulting physician. In the case of a poor outcome, it is not clear if the patient should file suit in the residing country or in the country the practitioner is located.
• Cost is a significant barrier to access. It has been estimated that the startup cost for a rural facility can be very high. In addition to start up costs, consideration must be given to the charge by the consultation team.
• Transmission charges to access resources can be costly.
• Reimbursement has been another obstacle in providing telemedicine services.
