What is Emergency Telemedicine

This paper describes business and technological challenges and solutions for a successful emergency telemedicine venture called MediComm. Its objective is to provide a new generation of integrated information and communication systems, targeting medical and emergency care organizations. This system enables multi-directional transfer of information (including voice, data, fax, video) between the organization’s central information system and its mobile fleet of ambulance vehicles. MediComm enables emergency care personnel to take a patient’s vital measurements and personal information in an ambulance on the way to the hospital, send the information to the hospital, and receive from the hospital directions for the patient’s treatment during transportation. When the patient arrives into the hospital, his/her information will be already updated in the information system, and the medical personnel will be ready to provide the necessary care immediately. Thus, time will be saved, which for many patients is of critical importance. The treatment of patients will be more effective and simplified, which will result in substantially lower cost of medical care.