| Faced with challenges such as budget cuts, trade | | | | without having to travel far distances for a checkup. |
| regulations and labor shortages, the healthcare | | | | Medical health monitoring – Patients needing |
| industry is up against some rough times. Being a | | | | constant care or patients suffering from chronic |
| predominantly "hands on" industry, healthcare and | | | | degenerative diseases no longer need to deal with |
| medical professionals are being forced to use | | | | extended hospitals stays. Healthcare professionals |
| innovative metrics to streamline their business | | | | can proactively monitor and prevent complications, |
| practices, without impairing the quality of service | | | | while patients recover from the comforts of their |
| provided to clients and patients. | | | | home. |
| With a little help from modern day technological tools, | | | | Pharmaceutical research – Physicians need to |
| such as video and web conferencing, healthcare | | | | receive adequate training and education as to the |
| providers are able to aggressively confront industry | | | | uses and implementation of medications. Rather then |
| related challenges, improve patient outreach and take | | | | sending sales representatives all over the country to |
| worldwide healthcare to a whole new level. | | | | meet with individual physicians, pharmaceutical |
| Extended patient demographics and access - On July | | | | companies can use video and web conferencing |
| 2, 2010 an announcement released by the Obama | | | | technology to host informational webinars. |
| Administration stated that $800 Million in funding will | | | | Sharing patient files – Many times physicians need |
| be allocated to expand broadband connections and | | | | to consult with other specialists on patient issues. The |
| telemedicine to rural and underserved regions. With | | | | collaborative tools included in most browser-based |
| easy online access, medical professionals can now | | | | video conferencing solutions allow doctors to |
| use video and web conferencing to provide remote | | | | instantaneously share and respond to patient |
| diagnoses and care to a larger geographical scope of | | | | information and reports through a secure method |
| patients. | | | | without having to wait for the information to arrive |
| Mandated continued education and staff training – | | | | via the mail or some other medium. |
| Industry rules and regulations are changing all the | | | | Recruit doctors and nurses – As with many other |
| time. Doctors and staff members are required to | | | | industries, holding an interview via video conferencing |
| keep up with training and certification. Video | | | | allows clinics and hospitals to have a greater prospect |
| conferencing provides an option for medical | | | | reach. |
| professionals to continue education, by allowing | | | | The typical doctor's toolkit is filled with items which |
| options for web-based mentoring and certification | | | | allow them to diagnose and monitor patients. A |
| programs. | | | | stethoscope to listen to body sounds, a pressure |
| Remote patient communication and treatment – | | | | cuff to help measure blood pressure, an otoscope to |
| Using online video conferencing tools, Doctors can | | | | look inside a patient's ear, a patella hammer to check |
| remotely interact with, analyze and diagnose patients. | | | | reflexes, an ophthalmoscope to examine eyes and |
| Patients looking into specialty services or looking to | | | | now a computer with a web camera to remotely |
| get a second opinion can be in touch with specialists | | | | connect with patients and associates. |