Telemedicine
The Ability to Reach More People in Need of Medical Information and Help
As the use of video conferencing in medicine has become more and more prevalent
in recent years, there is no doubt that this technology is providing an important
means for physicians and healthcare professionals to meet, consult, mentor and diagnose,
globally.
In the US, medical facilities have incorporated video conferencing technologies
into traditional clinic visits; video-enabled telemedicine allows physicians and
medical staff to share and transfer knowledge and information to those who are far
from large medical centers. In India, doctors at hospitals are using video conferencing
to diagnose distant villagers for basic ailments and prescribe medicines online.
And in Europe, local governments are investing huge amounts of money to build remote
healthcare networks that include video conferencing, especially in countries where
people are largely dispersed.
Another goal for video conferencing in healthcare is to provide a visual mode of
communication to a rapidly growing demographic of elderly people, helping them to
feel less isolated or afraid. Research shows that people who are connected with
such systems are physically, mentally and emotionally more healthy than those who
do not have access to such technology. The use of video conferencing for healthcare
applications, not only lowers the general costs of healthcare services, but lowers
the frequency of visits to doctors and medical facilities.
The Boundaries of Traditional Video Conferencing
Although most providers of video conferencing technology and products can offer
numerous examples of their solutions in action at hospitals and other large medical
institutions, there is a catch. Despite the great strides that have been made in
the field of telemedicine, the use of traditional video conferencing has been constricted
because of limited access to the kind of networks required for most solutions.
Whereas major hospitals and medical facilities typically have dedicated networks
over which telemedicine applications can be used, many of the neediest patients
and clinics —those located in rural areas or remote locations - are not able to
receive the benefit of this important healthcare breakthrough. Likewise, the use
of video conferencing as a way for the elderly to have access to medical care at
home (to extend the time that they can live independently in their own homes), is
greatly hindered by traditional video conferencing solutions that do not deliver
acceptable video quality access over the open Internet.
VidyoConferencing is changing this.
Vidyo: Providing Increased High Quality, Low Cost, Easy Access
Because VidyoConferencing provides the highest quality transmission and reception
of HD video over shared IP networks (including the Internet, conferences and collaboration
are not limited only to those people with access to special networks and facilities.
Multipoint conferences can take place between participants ANYWHERE. No need for
specially-equipped rooms or cost-prohibitive dedicated networks. No need to schedule
meetings and consultations far in advance. In emergency medical situations, all
that is needed is an Internet connection for people to share visual and audio information
plus lifesaving reports. Healthcare providers and patients alike can participate
in a Vidyo meeting via a simple-to-use Internet portal with one-click calling.
Since Vidyo offers high quality multipoint conferencing, medical teams can join
from multiple sites to meet with patients, attend healthcare forums, and participate
in other telemedicine activities that demand top HD quality multipoint conferencing.
And because these applications often involve hundreds of endpoints and ports, the
VidyoTechnologyTM is extremely scalable and accommodating from both a technical
and financial standpoint.
The Future is VidyoConferencing
Vidyo recently announced its entry into this important market -- a strategic partnership
with Attend Anywhere in Australia, leader in remote access to medical services,
education and training. Vidyo will supply the products and technology for Attend
Anywhere to extend services to customers worldwide via high definition video conferencing
on the desktop.
For Attend Anywhere, Vidyo was the obvious choice. According to Chris Ryan, Attend
Anywhere CEO, "Our partnership will enable us to break free from the cost and other
limitations of conventional video conferencing. By enabling reliable, high definition
desktop video conferencing over the Internet, Vidyo allows us to extend the reach
of our education and service providers to a wider audience at much higher quality
and lower cost. Customers want easy access to quality content and services, and
improved ways to bring people together effectively without time-consuming and costly
travel. Vidyo enables us to deliver all of that and more."
Vidyo is the first company to license technology and deliver products built upon
an entirely new video conferencing architecture that utilizes a recently approved
"scalable" video compression standard which delivers unparalleled video quality
over unreliable networks including the Internet. Because of this unique ability—
allowing disparate people to video conference from many locations, regardless of
where they are -- healthcare professionals no longer need to be concerned with the
equipment, management, logistics and costs of video conferencing. The Internet is
key to access for many in need of medical attention and care ... and VidyoConferencing
is the only technology that holds the key to easily achieving the much needed benefits
of this communications breakthrough in healthcare.