Videos help out rural practices

Technology is all about communication today. The world is getting smaller and, for some, this fact may save their life.

Doctors practicing in rural hospitals are starting to use video conferencing as a way for their serious patients to see and talk to specialists, who are usually stationed in cities. The regional and local facilities are literally connected to larger medical centers when it is necessary. This involves a large TV, a video camera, and internet-connected medical equipment. Patients can receive the timely care they need and may not have to transfer to specialists.

Of course, the billing and insurance of this video consulting is still up in the air. Because the network is not large enough, and the lines between a true "video consultation" and a regular visit are blurry, insurance providers are not covering practices for the costs of this technology. Trends do show that once a technology is more widely accepted, insurance and other businesses are more willing to pitch in with the efforts.

Hopefully in the future this technology will be covered, so that people can tap into expertise when there are emergencies. For example, many babies who have difficulties after childbirth are transferred while, in many cases, a mother must stay behind to recover. This is difficult for everyone involved, and could be eased with the help of a simple "telemed" conference.

Video conferencing is a somewhat newer technology which has caught on with many corporations that are spread across the country to cut down on business trip expenses. It is great that the field of medicine can catch on.

This idea of bringing together great minds from different areas of one expertise, and combining knowledge is extremely brilliant. There is nothing better than collaborating with colleagues from all over the world who may teach you, guide you, or help you save another person's life.

See the article mentioned by The Wall Street Journal's Ben Worthon here.

This video advertises video conferencing at Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu. The conferences save mothers with complicated pregnancies the expense and time of flying to specialists on the on other Hawaiian islands, or to the mainland U.S.