Virtual Doctors Office

As a young man I was very interested in medicine.  I always thought that I would grow Up to be a great surgeon, or perhaps a pediatrician, or maybe an obstetrician.  I even went as far as to do Pre-Medicine work at the beginning of my college education, and then decided that I wanted a different kind of lifestyle that would allow me to be home with my family on a more consistent basis.  I completed my college education in business and preceded to begin a career working with computers and computer networks.  I never really lost the interest or the desire to be part of what's happening in medicine.  There's just something that's fascinating about the ability to be able to help someone to overcome some kind of physical illness or physical problem.  For years now I've thought about how computer software & computer networks could be used to increase the quality of health care in our current systems.  The opportunity's seem to be everywhere.  We see the use of wireless handheld devices for notation and charting in hospitals. Computer Networks now manage patient records in ways that we had not considered before.  There are a number of companies out there actually building databases of complaints associated with symptoms and lab values values to aid in  diagnostic scenarios.  I saw video today on MSNBC that takes this to the next level.  There is a women's clinic in Texas that will conduct office visits via the Internet.  This kind of virtual doctor's office makes it possible for the Dr. in the patient to communicate under circumstances where there is no physical examination necessary.  I don't think we'll ever be able to get away from the need to physically be present for an assessment in a doctor's office, but all of the communication prior to, and follow-up after the assessment, could certainly take place via Internet. Creating this virtual office environment would certainly benefit both the doctor and patients. Communication in the medical world is critical.  It makes perfect sense for us to put the great communication tools that we have in the computer world to work in the medical world.

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