Telemedicine Comes Into Its Own

goG writes "Telemedicine — providing care using advanced communications technology may be coming into its own with a little help from Uncle Sam. The Obama administration recently awarded $795 million in grants and loans for 66 new broadband projects. Most of these projects will involve using videoconferencing equipment to allow doctors to consult on medical procedures or examinations remotely."

Comments

Re:Hold on a minute....

[hedwards]

Um, dude, there wouldn't be an internet were it not for US Federal funding. African health care is a non sequitor, it hasn't got anything to do with the technology funds, nor does it in any way demonstrate that they shouldn't be funding it.

Outsourcing?

[ascari]

OK, great but this initiative lays the groundwork to outsource certain medical specialities like radiology and pathology to lower cost countries. Why is this a good way to spend tax money?

Irony check?

[ErikTheRed]

Am I the only one who grasped the dissonance between the words "comes into its own" and "$795 million in grants." Have we really stooped to the point where people have mentally redefined success and functionality as the ability to successfully lobby the government for cash?

You keep using those words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean.

How about using Skype?

[flyingfsck]

I have worked in multiple places with one thing in common: Gawdawful ridiculously expensive video conference systems. We are a bunch of engineers and we cannot get the fscking things to work, so how would a bunch of doctors manage with it?

In contrast, the cheap/free Skype works without any issues.