The future of natural medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The future of natural medicine - Essay Example The future of helth cre nd medicine cn not be predicted, but it will certinly be developing into n Informtion ge, evolving in itself. Prticulrly, the medicl services will be delivered through the Internet nd other innovtive mens of communiction providing qulity nd cre whenever nd wherever needed. E-medicine refers to the use of telecommuniction tht provides medicl informtion nd services. It my be s simple s two helth professionls discussing cse over the telephone, or s sophisticted s using stellite technology to brodcst consulttion between providers t two distnt loctions, using videoconferencing equipment." (Gustke et l., 20000) The simplest definition of E-Medicine is tht it uses multimedi technology (voice, video nd dt) to deliver medicl services. The lower cost of bnd- width nd improvement in video nd dt compression stndrds hve incresed the number nd types of medicl services tht cn be delivered from distnce to include virtully every specilty. E-Medicine is n ppliction nd not technology. It uses hybrid technology incorporting elements of television, telecommuniction, computers, engineering nd medicine. Services cn be delivered on combintion of technologies with vriety of equipment. The objective of E-medicine "is not n evolutionry concept but revolutionry concept nd t the hert of every revolution, there is the need for sudden mssive chnge, t the core of which is the humn mind." (Merrell, 2004). E-medicine in the future will bring mny benefits to helth cre system, will fcilitte the work of helth cre employees nd improve the response time for ptients. Prticulrly, the benefits of e-medicine include: higher qulity helthcre vilble to trditionlly under privileged popultion. For lrge rurl bsed popultion seprted by lrge distnces the ccess to regulr qulity medicl cre is needed nd cn be provided by e-medicine. E-medicine cn enhnce citizen's equlity in the vilbility of vrious medicl services nd clinicl helth cre, despite these economic nd geogrphic brriers. E-medicine will sve the time wsted by both providers nd ptients in trveling from one geogrphic loction to nother to vil services on time. The ptient who requires immedite specilist consultncy, nd there is no specilist vilble to cter to him, could be utilized for effective helthcre delivery. E-medicine will reduce costs of medicl cre since the rising cost of helthcre is becoming prime concern. The costs relted to ptient cre, i.e. the cost ssocited with fctors other thn the ctul medil cre such s trvel, ccommodtion for reltives, food etc lso contribute substntilly to the overll cost of tretment. In country where helth insurnce is yet to ctch up, ll these re borne by ptients, in mny cses by selling property nd livestock. If hospitls cn reduce these costs ssocited with tretment, it would go long wy in reducing the burden of cre on the ptient. E-medicine seems to be the nswer. dvntges of E-medicine Providing helthcre services vi Internet nd other telecommuniction services gives mny dvntges. It cn mke specilty cre more ccessible to underserved rurl nd urbn popultions. Video consulttions from rurl clinic to specilist cn llevite prohibitive trvel nd ssocited costs for