Telemedicine Connects Earthquake-Ravaged Haiti to the World - 0 views
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Yuval S on 11 Feb 11This article discusses the introduction of IT in haiti after the disastrous earthquake that hit this under-privelaged country hard. There are many people who are put in the situation of getting wounded from the earthquake. A few volunteers from the University of Miami went to Haiti with 2 donated portable satellites, computer laptops, each device contained a satellite telephone, satellite Internet, and video camera. These donated materials and workers who volunteered were important because of the problem with money in Haiti. The medical team consulted in real time with their Florida colleagues 700 miles away. The potential of this was that it can improve diagnoses, speed treatment, and lower costs. One thing they could do was, using a camera on a cell phone with Internet access, they took photos of patients' X-ray films and wounds and emailed them to stateside specialists. Without this technology, it would have been much, much more difficult to work logistics and communications. Dr. Alessi, a volunteer in Haiti for many years, worked when there was no use of It. "What's most exciting is that we are building an entire health system in Haiti," he said. "That's where telemedicine and technology will come in. I think Haiti is finally going to be connected to the rest of the world."