Telemedicine's Present & Future
Communication technology involved in medicine is exploding forward as in all of our professions and industries. This article is not about the technology of communication in medicine or the brilliant apps for your amazing smartphones. Stories about these tools and their benefits are everywhere in the media.
This is about the content you exchange with medicine and health providers. More people today can speak more clearly with a huge array of caring providers all over the world for less loss of time and resources. Better medical information can be shared more quickly and easily all over the world. And it’s getting better quickly. Except for our memories of privacy, what could go wrong about that?
This is not about communication tech. We collect and store data already so effectively as to be beyond belief. But are our people more healthy and happy as a result of this great revolution in Telecommunication? Let’s look around. This physician observer sees patients and families moving toward social catastrophes of alienation and depression directly related to their smart phone addiction and withdrawal from primary family relationships. And after a few years of social media training, my grand kids can graduate to high school. But where is Telemedicine going for us thru all this?
Think about it
To be fair, technology saves lives every day in emergency medicine and advanced states of disease and injury. Any physician appreciates the benefits that modern technology can bring to these patient care situations. And the caring professionals and first responders in these situations impress me with their spirits and commitments to helping others. I’m glad they have the excellent tools they do. The lives they save might be my own.
Most disease, suffering and death is not from bad emergency care. And it’s not poor communication skills between everyone providing care. What kills? Degenerative diseases, lingering cancers and suicidal depressions or combinations of these. Car wars are big. Gun violence is down with bee stings and lightning. These major disease categories parallel the promised benefits of the most hugely profitable pharmaceuticals sold today. And one of the top five causes of death in America are actually those lawful properly prescribed pharmaceuticals.
We all know problems with health and wellness are everywhere around us. Already now telemedicine, including online education and entertainment activity is moving away from traditional telephone conferences with your doctor, patient, insurance provider, laboratory and/or pharmacy.
Traditional providers have their own languages, expenses, priorities and regulatory constraints to survive. More of the public is shifting their spending and digital media time and money on advisers, coaches, teachers, healers, gurus, podcasts, and various authorities. These non-traditional or “alternative” healers are providing more affordable and safe medicines and healing lifestyles. Many doctors are joining international promotions of powerful super-food companies who handle the complex licensing and manufacturing concerns as well as extraordinarily well done patient education. An example of one which this author appreciates, is Cerule
The technology of the internet and social media has opened our world to the health solutions of all cultures and even time travel into the history of our ancestors. Humanity is Good, Beautiful, Bad and Ugly, the whole spectrum and modern technology hasn’t changed that. But it has sure given some of us more options for what we choose to learn and become. That genie of awareness is not going back into the bottle during our lives. So where is telemedicine going in the future? Where will you take it?
You reading this and many others are in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom to help our friends and ourselves get healthier and happier. We are tool users and telemedicine is a tool we are learning to use better. It is no secret for adults that everything important in life requires an effort with steady thoughts and action. And success is sometimes a reward for those efforts. But rewards are never guaranteed.
Your health and happiness matters to your friends and family, and probably you too. Keep up your efforts toward learning and discerning in natural medicine history and skills. Make your providers get better to stay ahead of you. Bring your kids along while you have any influence over them. Keep track of your best sources and teachers. Share that forward with all the technical tools and communication skills available to you. We all deserve your success. So do you.