Musings of a Cardiologist

Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office waiting to see a physician when a robot sitting in front of you comes to life. The “head” is a video monitor showing a doctor from another part of the world. While he or she provides a consultation, a registered nurse in the room with you uses a tablet to update your electronic medical chart. Across the globe, the doctor sees the updates in real-time and makes a diagnosis. This may seem like something out of a new science fiction movie, but telemedicine is already being used worldwide.

Telemedicine is changing healthcare IT. From improving rural healthcare around the world to easing patients’ commutes to providing extra eyes in the ICU, technology is positively effecting the way medical offices handle day-to-day functions.

“Today, telemedicine is used in medical fields such as dermatology, behavioral health and cardiology as a way to provide better care to communities under served by physicians, hospitals or both; it is also considered a way to significantly reduce the cost of treating health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and sleep apnea, which benefit from continued monitoring of a patient’s condition,” wrote Eastwood.

While the benefits are obvious, there are risks involved that need to be taken into consideration. Physicians must have appropriate hardware and software security in place to make sure all information is protected. The data that is being sent around digitally includes Social Security numbers and detailed medical information.

For these strategies to be successful, medical practices need to have the right IT professionals to not only keep the systems running, but to stay current on the latest security information.