IP Communications Featured Articles

Advancements in IP communications are transforming the way doctors treat patients. With the increasing maturity of mobile, VoIP, videoconferencing, and healthcare technologies, the adoption of telemedicine has been increasing throughout the United States.

Telemedicine is the use of communication and information technology to provide clinical health care from a distance. In sparsely populated areas, or in situations where transportation is not readily available (or prohibited), IP communication between patient and doctor can be a useful tool. It has also proven to be a very effective method for securing adherence to medication or other treatments, and allows for greater levels of productivity for both doctor and patient.  

The majority of telemedicine solutions operate on a two-way basis, allowing doctors to send information and instructions to their patients, while also enabling patients to transmit data regarding blood pressure, pulse, weight, and other biometrics to their physician. Using high-definition video conferencing technology, doctors can consult with their patients regarding a host of medical topics, from rheumatology and infectious disease, to orthopedics and surgery. 

Perhaps more importantly, telemedicine allows doctors to remotely monitor their patients, reducing emergency response time and overall mortality rates. This has shown to be particularly useful for patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure, COPD, diabetes, hypertensions, and other chronic conditions. 

Additionally, with recent changes in the legal landscape of healthcare, telemedicine presents itself as a viable cost cutting solution. Telemedicine reduces the need for hospital readmission, and the overall efficiency gained from utilizing the technology itself drastically reduces costs.   These savings can go a long way toward reducing overall healthcare expenditures, and open up opportunities for other cost cutting measures.

 For example, this technology has seen wide adoption in correctional facilities in the United States, as it allows states to provide inmates with appropriate medical attention without the need to securely transporting them to medical facilities. Mental health services have also greatly benefited from advances in remote communications technology.

IMS Research released a report in January projecting that at least some form of telemedicine will be applied to 1.8 million patients worldwide by 2017. Today this number sits at around 308,000. With such a host of medical and financial benefits, it’s not hard to see why. 

"Telemedicine has been shown to reduce the cost of healthcare and increase efficiency through better management of chronic diseases, shared health professional staffing, reduced travel times, and fewer or shorter hospital stays," says the American Telemedicine Association (News - Alert).

Clearly, IP communications technology is playing a large role toward addressing the challenges of distance and distribution of medical resources, healthcare costs, and patient health. As advancements continue to roll out, we can be sure to see even more innovative uses of IP communications in the doctor’s office.