Driven by aging population, increased medical requirements in remote locations and technology advancements, world market for telemedicine is projected to exceed $18 billion by the year 2015. Application of telemedicine is expanding virtually across all the medical areas. Telemedicine currently finds application in majority of medical domains including radiology, cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry, dentistry, pediatrics and pathology, among others.
With an aging population, people delaying medical procedures because of the spiraling costs associated with a privatized system and more medical students going into more profitable fields such as cosmetic surgery, the number of practicing radiologists has been shrinking even as demand is rising. Teleradiology makes access to these medical professionals easier than ever. Through the use of Web based PACS (Picture Archive and Communication Systems), medical images can be distributed securely over the Internet. This is the basis of teleradiology; thanks to this increasingly-affordable technology, radiologists are no longer limited by location.
A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine (10 April) reported that telemedicine was being used in the US for everything from diagnostics to direct care.
Powerful medical applications designed for the Apple's popular iPhone are also appearing. One, a unique, touch-screen iPhone-Teleradiology application, allows physicians to navigate through diagnostic images from plane, train or golf cart with workstation functionality.
The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust revealed in an email to all staff that it has invited Euromedic UK, described as a pan-European healthcare company, to look at the way radiology services are provided at the Infirmary, as well as Fairfield General, North Manchester General and the Royal Oldham.
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