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Technology in Medicine
The Use of Computers
Mr. Howerton
Fall 2012
How are computers used
in medicine?
Medical informatics
The storage, analysis, and
communication of information I
medicine
•Communication
•Internet
•Medical records
•Diagnostic Support
•Pharmaceutical Prescriptions
•Health System Modeling
•Data Mining
Administrative Applications
Patient records
Billing
Filing Insurance claims
Imaging Data
Transcribing reports
Scheduling appointments
Clinical and Special
Patient data
Pharmaceutical referencing
Medical guidelines
Calculations
Scheduling and appointments
Databases of pharmacy numbers, consultants,
etc
Contact among other medical professionals
Computer-Assisted surgery
Use computers, cameras, and robotic
arms to examine and perform surgicallynon-invasive procedures on a patient.
Knee repair
Gall bladder removal
Unblocking arteries
Prosthetics
Designing
Fitting
Control of prosthetics
Monitoring use of prosthetics
Pharmacy
Client records
Inventory
Insurance
Guidelines
Pharmaceutical references
Billing
Contacts
How is digital imaging
used in the radiology
these days?
Digital Imaging
No developing process – quicker
Copies as good as original
Viewed on computer screen
Can be transmitted over phone lines
Less radiation
More flexible
Can be highlighted or enhanced
Traditional X-Rays
Traditional X-rays use electromagnetic waves to
make pictures. The high-energy waves travel
through soft tissue but not through the dense
materials of bone. It can be used to detect
pathology of the skeletal system as well as some
soft tissue
Used in orthopedics and dentistry
video
Digital X-Rays
Computers make pictures using
mathematical information
Appear instantly on the computer screen
Can be emailed to others for help in
diagnosis
Can be manipulated by the computer to
create better images
Allows greater access to radiology in
remote areas
Mammography
a low-dose x-ray system for the
examination of breasts.
A mammogram is used as a screening tool
to detect early breast cancer in women
plays a central part in early detection of
breast cancers
show changes in the breast up to two
years before a patient or physician can
feel them.
Ultrasound
Also called sonography,
uses of reflected high-frequency sound
waves to create image
Captured in real-time
Examine movement of object
Video
Computerized Tomography (CT)
CAT scan
uses special x-ray equipment to obtain
image data from different angles around
the body
computer processing of the information
shows a cross-section of body tissues and
organs.
Video
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
uses radiofrequency waves and a strong
magnetic field to create images
Has a broad use for diagnosis
video
Positron-Emission Tomography (PET)
PET Scan
radioactive material is injected into body
radiation from the emission of positrons
Used to view cancer and blood flow
Uses to study Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Video
Interventional Radiography
use previously mentioned technology to
insert catheters to treat disease (through
the skin).
Advantages: outpatient, less cost, less
pain, local anesthesia
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
delivery of a single high dose of radiation
in a one-day session to a tumor
Mainly for brain tumors
video
Focused UltraSound Imaging
ultrasound beams are focused on a tissue
temperature within the tissue rises to more
than 65°C, completely destroying it.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine
Definition: “The use of computers, the
Internet, and other communication
technologies to provide medical care to
patients at a distance.”
Includes:
–Diagnoses
–Patient monitoring
–Treatments
Telemedicine
Telehealth:
–Larger field that includes healthrelated education
–public health research
–health services administration
Telemedicine
Advantages:
–Brings high quality medical care to
anyone regardless of distance
–Decreases patient wait time
–Decreases patient travel time
Telemedicine
Teleradiology: Oldest form of telemedicine
using computers and telecommunications .
Interactive video conferencing:
Conferencing that allows medical
professionals and patients to consult in
real-time, using telephones and video
screens.
Telemedicine
Telepathology: Transmission of
microscopic images over
telecommunications lines allowing the
pathologist to view images on a monitor
instead of under a microscope.
Telepsychiatry: Uses teleconferencing to
deliver psychotherapy. May not be
suitable for some types of mental illness.
Telemedicine
Remote monitoring devices
– Telespironmetryused for asthma patients
information transmitted over telephone lines to
remote location
– Arrhythmia monitoring
ECG telemetry that monitors a patient’s cardiac
status and sends it to a remote location
Effectiveness of Telemedicine
Examining a patient at a distance is not
the same as examining that patient face to
face
In prisons, telemedicine has led to
decreased costs and improved health care
for inmates
Effectiveness of Telemedicine
Medical assistants at the remote sites may
be useful
Small hospitals and clinics may find
hardware costs prohibitive
Research studies generally favorable for
medical and cost effectiveness
Use of Telemedicine
Health care to the elderly (homebound)
Connect rural primary care physicians to
urban specialists
Allow families of high-risk newborns to
watch babies’ hospital care from home
Data can be transmitted from ambulance
to ER
Patients with chronic illnesses can receive
medication reminders at home
Issues with Telemedicine
Technical issues
–appropriate telecommunications
infrastructure must be in place
–not available in some rural and
urban areas
–requires high bandwidth (cable
modem)
Issues with Telemedicine
Insurance issues
– insurance may not coverall telemedicine
Legal issues
– licensing laws differ in each state
– liability is not clear
Privacy issues
– electronic medical record subject to misuse
– HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996)