Telematics for rural health care practitioners

Robert H. Greenfield; Jan W P F Kardaun

doi:10.1117/12.23866

1 June 1990 Telematics for rural health care practitioners

Robert H. Greenfield, Jan W P F Kardaun

Proceedings Volume 1355, Telecommunication for Health Care: Telemetry, Teleradiology, and Telemedicine; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.23866
Event: Telecommunication for Health Care: Telemetry, Teleradiology, and Telemedicine, 1990, Calgary, Canada

Abstract

The " crisis" in rural health care i. e. the decreasing number of practitioners is partially caused by the increasing use of technology in health care. Health care practitioners in rural Canada are progressively finding their practice more difficult because of their isolation from the population centers housing many of the services and supplies needed in the modern practice of medicine. The centralization of these supplies and services results from the increasing use of technology in medicine. It is uneconomical to place expensive equipment highly trained technicians and consultants and well-stocked and current information sources in rural locations where they are underutilized. Thus over the years the increasing use of technology makes rural practice more difficult and less attractive in comparison to an urban practice that can easily and cheaply employ the benefits of technology and expert consultation. The Saskatchewan situation is examined using data collected by the authors and compared to other rural areas reported in the literature. The ways that computer communications can help alleviate this situation are explained and illustrated through a review of North American telematics activities. Telematic services for physicians are developing in North America. This is in synergy with the increasing ownership of computers by physicians. We contrast the Canadian scene with the American. Telematics is a technological approach that can be employed to reduce the isolation of rural health care practitioners. It can provide

Citation Download Citation

Robert H. Greenfield and Jan W P F Kardaun "Telematics for rural health care practitioners", Proc. SPIE 1355, Telecommunication for Health Care: Telemetry, Teleradiology, and Telemedicine, (1 June 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.23866

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