Transcript Unit C: Technology in Medicine

Medical Informatics
• The intersection of information
science, computer science, and health
care.
• It deals with the resources, devices,
and methods required to optimize the
acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use
of information in health and
biomedicine. A good job for people who
like medical stuff but not people!!
• Should love to work with computers.
Physician’s offices
• Use computers for
scheduling & accounting
(like billing)
Clinical Application of computers in
medicine!
• Scientific or medical
function
i.e. Electronic patient
monitor
Administrative Applications
• Works to develop, maintain, implement,
and provide on-going support for all
administrative applications (i.e.
scheduling, payroll,etc.)
Computer-Assisted Surgery
• i.e. Helps the surgeon precisely align the
artificial knee joint in the bone and may
increase the long term effectiveness of
knee replacements.
Bloodless Surgery
• Uses digital imaging to accomplish lessinvasive surgery. The main benefit is
smaller incisions.
Smaller incisions = less
blood
Prosthetics
• Amputation is a life-changing event.
• An artificial extension that replaces a
missing body part.
• Usually due to a traumatic injury or a
birth defect
Computerized Prosthetic Device
• Computerized leg that
allows people who
have had amputations
above the knee to
approximate a normal
gait.
• The total cost was
$5.3 million.
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
A German physicist who, on 11/6/1895, produced
and detected electromagnetic radiation in a
wavelength range today known as X-rays.
Traditional vs. Digital X-Ray
• Traditional x-rays are used
most frequently.
• Electromagnetic waves are used
to make pictures. i.e. broken
bones & mammograms.
• New imaging techniques use
computers to generate pictures
of internal body organs.
• Difference is the ability to
emphasize & enlarge certain
areas.
Fluoroscopy
An imaging technique to
obtain real-time
moving images of the
internal structures of
a patient through the
use of a fluoroscope.
Mammography
• The process of using lowdose x-rays to examine the
human breast
• Major imaging area
currently dominated by
traditional x-rays.
• Other techniques may be
used if an abnormality is
spotted by mammogram
Ultrasound
• Uses high frequency
sounds waves to
generate a moving
picture on a screen.
• Distinguish between
cysts or tumors. Can
be used in
mammograms & to see
fetuses
3D/4DUltrasound
• Fetal ultrasound is a
test done during
pregnancy that uses
reflected sound
waves to produce a
picture of a fetus, the
organ that nourishes
the fetus (placenta),
and the liquid that
surrounds the fetus
(amniotic fluid).
Fetal Doppler
• Allows you to
hear your
unborn baby's
heartbeat using
ultrasound
waves
Computerized Tomography
• Abbreviated as CT
• Uses x-rays and
digital technology
to produce a crosssectional image
• Sometimes uses dye
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Abbreviated as MRI
• Produces images of soft tissue within
the body and DOES NOT use radiation
Positron Emission
Tomography
• Abbreviated as PET
• Uses radioscope technology
• i.e. Used to study Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson's disease, and ADHD.
Interventional Radiology
• Needle biopsy
• Subspecialty of
radiology in which
minimally invasive
procedures are
performed using
imaging guidance.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
• Uses a gamma knife (painless device)
• Highly precise form of radiation
therapy used primarily to treat tumors
and other abnormalities
Focused Ultrasound Surgery
• Uses sound
waves, which
create a powerful
ultrasonic beam
• In order for a rural hospital to have
telepathology capabilities with a large
research hospital they must purchase a
microscope, camera & a monitor.
Telemedicine
• The use of
computers, the
Internet, and other
communication
technologies to
provide medical care
to patients at a
distance.
• Telemedicine is
generally costeffective
Telemedicine Continued…
biggest obstacle would be lack of
telecommunications lines
• Forms:
–
–
–
–
Voice
Data
Still images
Motion Video
• Includes:
– Diagnoses
– Patient monitoring
– Treatments
Interactive Videoconferencing
• Videoconferencing is a
live, two-way, interactive
electronic means of
communication. Two or
more people in different
geographic locations can
engage in face-to-face
audio and visual
exchanges using
cameras, monitors, and
document software.
EMT’s use telemedicine with
patients having chest pain! HOW?
• Collects real-time
electrocardiogram (ECG)
signals from a mobile or
homebound patient,
combines these signals
with global positioning
system (GPS) location
data, and transmits them
to a remote station for
display, diagnoses and
monitoring. I.e.: physician
in the emergency
department
Computerized Charting
• Using a computer to store
& keep a clinical records
of the important facts
about a patient and the
progress of their illness.
The patient's medical
history, a nursing history,
results of physical
examinations, laboratory
reports, results of special
diagnostic tests, and the
observations of the
nursing staff.
Pharmacy
• Refilling medications into
the Pyxis® MedStation™
system is a critical and
time-consuming process.
With thousands of doses
of medications selected
each day and numerous
dosing alternatives for
many, the potential for
error is great.
• Monitors who takes out
medicine and how much
• Reduce medication refill errors
and improve pharmacy
workflow
Telehealth
• Larger field that
includes healthrelated education,
public health
research, and
health services
administration.
Telehealth Continued…
• Advantages:
– Brings high quality medical care to anyone
regardless of distance.
– Decreases patient wait time.
– Decreases patient travel time.
Teleradiology
The oldest form of
telemedicine using
computers and
telecommunications
• i.e.: sending digital
chest x-rays over
Telecommunication
lines
• Telepsychiatry: used in special
circumstances but does not replace face
to face counseling. Teleconferencing is
used to deliver psychotherapy
Arrhythmia Monitoring
– ECG telemetry that
monitors a patient’s
cardiac status and
sends it to a remote
location
– ECG tech watches
monitors that show
heart rhythms of
many patients.
Remote Monitoring Devices
(Devices used to monitor patients at home)
Telespirometry:
used by asthma
patients, information
transmitted over
telephone lines to
remote location used
for asthma patients
• information transmitted
over telephone lines to
remote location
Effectiveness of Telemedicine
• Examining a patient at a distance is
not the same as examining the patient
face-to-face.
• In prisons, telemedicine has led to
decreased costs & improved health
care for inmates.
Effectiveness Continued..
• Small hospitals & clinics may find
hardware costs prohibitive.
• Research studies generally favor
telemedicine for medical effectiveness
as well as cost effectiveness.
• What is the BEST reason for using
telemedicine….
Makes high quality medical care available to
people in remote places!!
Insurance Clerk
• To prepare for a job using technology you
would need to learn computerized billing.
Insurance Coding System
• Coding diseases,
surgeries, medical
procedures, and other
therapies for billing
and collection.
• i.e. 969=pneumonia
Should not have
procedures on that bill
that are not related to
that code.
i.e. papsmear
Technical Issues
• Appropriate telecommunications
infrastructure must be in place.
• Some telecommunications services may
not be available in some rural and urban
areas.
• Requires high bandwidth (cable modems)
Insurance Issues
• Insurance may
not cover all
telemedicine.
Legal Issues
• Licensing laws differ in each state.
• Liability is not clear from state to
state.
Privacy Issues
• Electronic medical record subject to
more misuse.
• Confidential health information
transmitted electronically must comply
with HIPAA, privacy and security
standards.
FUTURE
We have some of the most advanced health care in the world.
Improvements in medicine are helping people to live longer and more
active lives.
• And yet, for more and more people health care is a problem.
• Nearly one out of every six people do not have health insurance
• Each year thousands of people die from preventable medical errors
• Individuals, businesses, federal and state governments are all
struggling with soaring health care costs.
• WHAT IS THE SOLUTION??????????????