FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Doctors Use Camera Phones for Telemedicine

Physicians in Switzerland are studying the use of camera phones for diagnosing serious wounds in patients in remote locations. A nurse, for instance, could take a picture and send it to a doctor who otherwise could not reach the patient.

In experiments, the diagnoses from doctors who viewed injuries via camera phone agreed with those from doctors who saw the injuries in person. Before being used in the US, HIPAA and other electronic privacy issues would have to be addressed, but the potential exists for making "virtual house calls."

Source: CNN.com