By James Barnett

Technology has a deep and illustrious history in revolutionizing healthcare for the better. CT and MRI scanners provided significant milestones in the improvements of the accuracy, diagnosis and treatment of disease. The storage and transfer of electronic medical records also provided significant savings which has been invested into treatment. The latest breakthrough in Telehealth was the successful roll out of Skype’s video technology which allowed patients and doctors to consult from their separate locations at home and the clinic. For some this appears to be a revolutionary time saver which allows for a more comfortable interaction with their local practitioner. However questions remain over the removal of intimacy in the patient doctor relationship and the future reliance on home broadband to make these services unilaterally accessible.

Britain’s National Health Service recently trialled the technology and revealed a 11 per cent decrease in missed appointments and a favourable reporting from patients who participated. In the US the technology has been available since 2010 and an increasing number of practitioners have incorporated the service due to its popularity. Thailand has invested heavily in Telehealth services seeking to make all serviced apartments and hotels virtually connected to hospitals. This is to provide unique services to tourists and foreign businessmen and it may be rewarded after its 2013 projected revenue for private health was estimated to reach $11.4 million as a direct result of Skype.

Video consultations allow more appointments by day and a reduction in waiting times for patients. More effective services allow patients to see their doctor quickly and identify issues with their health. However if a doctor cannot diagnose the patient from the online appointment then they may need to come in for second booking, which in turn increases the number of appointments booked by the patient. Doctors are also unable be able to diagnose patients from assessing their body language and more serious cases would not be suitable for a virtual appointment.

If video consultations become a normal practice in healthcare, it is likely that other digital services will be rolled out to. The UK’s healthcare secretary Jeremy Hunt predicted £3 billion in savings could be made through enacting a digital first policy in the next decade. I-pads could enable patients to participate in appointments on the move whilst doctors could send and receive test results from smart phones. In the case of negative or benign results, this would counter the need for follow up appointments. Digital services could also include booking appointments online, pre-op screening and follow up consultations through the course of treatment. For a government aiming to cut costs on healthcare, the effectiveness of healthcare may be defined by its ability to reduce costs whilst maintaining the required standard of care.

Technology giants Microsoft and Cisco are seeking new opportunities to invest in the public healthcare market and see video as the future of the sector. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2010 for $8.5 billion which recorded 600 million recorded users at the time of purchase. Cisco meanwhile has been lobbying for an open source format of video streaming technology which allows it to compete in the sector. There outcome is likely to be granted by the Europeans Union’s fair regulation policy which may mean the effective of video healthcare is dependent upon the delivery from the technology providers.

– Jim Barnett is an academic in New Media & Communications technology currently researching the impact of video technology in the healthcare industry on behalf of Medical Negligence Solicitors.