Tele-medicine, the act of providing medical services to patients remotely, is a practice that is growing rapidly all over the world. Not only does it save time and money, but it can also increase productivity and allow patients to receive treatment in an environment in which they are most comfortable —their home.

Tele-medicine can be achieved by using remote-support software like TeamViewer, which allows healthcare clinics and hospitals to access computers in any location. Expert physicians can then provide assistance regardless of time or distance.

Though this may seem like a technology of the future, it is something that is being used quite commonly today. For example:

• In Israel, a company called MediTouch manufactures wearable motion-capture devices for rehabilitation. It uses remote-support software to assist patients in different countries. The patient’s aid sets up the physical device between the patient and the computer while the doctor accesses their computer and controls all functions for the rehab process.
• In Africa, there are many patients living in remote villages that need expert surgeons to conduct specific types of surgery. In many cases, the nearest surgeon is not capable of conducting such a surgery alone. Using remote-access software, expert surgeons from other countries are accessing computers (e.g. with robotic arms) to assist the in-person surgeons in such cases.
• Collaboration is essential in the world of medicine and remote-access software provides a useful tool for physicians to use. A doctor in Sweden may take an x-ray of a broken bone. Though he has dealt with many similar injuries, this specific case is something he has never seen before. However, he does know someone in the U.S. that can help. Because the x-ray is a high-resolution image and the doctor doesn’t want to reduce the file size in order to email it to his colleague, the doctor in the US can remotely access the Swedish doctor’s computer and view the x-ray in high resolution.

By using remote-access software for tele-medicine, doctors and physicians are no longer limited to assisting patients based on their location. They can provide the best healthcare to those in need, based solely on their expertise.

Not only does remote-support software provide a means of better healthcare, but it also serves as a practical business technology as well--especially for physicians running a smaller private practice. Many private physicians find themselves working from home, particularly when paperwork piles up. When important documents get left behind at the office, remote access to files and a work computer become critical.

Considering there are more than 7 billion people in our population today, many patients live far away from expert physicians who can help them with their specific illnesses or injuries. Remote-support software allows physicians and patients to connect and achieve results that may have not been possible a few years ago. By using remote-support software in the healthcare field the boundaries of cost and travel can be completely eliminated, allowing for the highest quality of patient therapy to be achieved.