By: Lorri Allen/Cronkite News Service Originally published: Nov 21, 2012 – 9:04 am
PHOENIX — Until now, telemedicine has largely involved capital-intensive studios and cameras isolated to one area of a hospital. But the Mayo Clinic and a University of Arizona center dedicated to telemedicine are pioneering work aimed at moving care to smartphones.
That means practicing medicine in remote and underserved communities will become cheaper, quicker and more effective, according to Dr. Bart Demaerschalk, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic Hospital.
“What we’re attempting to do is to make it even easier for the clinical specialist to insert themselves in a virtual manner for the patient in the remote environment,” he said. “A mobile device should fulfill that goal.”
Dr. Ronald Weinstein, director of the Arizona Telemedicine Program, sees it as a natural progression.
Read More at KTAR: http://ktar.com/22/1589842/Arizona-studies-envision-telemedicine-on-smartphones