Remote Medical Services

At the frontier of medical services (especially in Thailand, where hundreds of patients go and wait for hours to consult a doctor at a clinic or a public hospital) for the public mass, there are large number of patients, long medical record processes, small number of nurses (medical operators), smaller number of doctors (diagnosticians) and queuing/servicing management problems (triage strategy - that the most life threatening case gets served first).

Typical process begins at arriving [early] at reception [at clinic/hospital], validating identity and entitlement, preliminary questioning for triage assessment, first aids if required (to stabilize conditions), scheduling diagnosis (patient meeting doctor), scheduling first treatment (patient, equipment, bed, specialists,…), scheduling follow-up,… It is clear that the process is long and each stage must comply with health regulations and medical practices.

Many remote medical services emerge. Most are designed to streamline and reduce time for reception and preliminary assessment before diagnosis. Many employ telecommunication and [personal] medical sensors and equipment. Remote consultations for mild medical conditions are now available in most countries. Remote operations (thru remote surgical robots) are now possible. Many other possibilities are being explored.

Remote medical services have great potential to save life, time and cost. But many medical protocols and processes will need change of practice (regulatory and methodical). Technological infrastructure is also needed.

Isn’t it time to explore possibilities and initiatives for improving medical services of the future?