The traditional health care comprised of hospitals-the health care providers which were mainly funded by the Government and the insurance companies. From past few years the health care system has adopted a new member-The Social media.
Social Media, particularly YouTube have paved way to medical treatment through Internet. This treatment is popularly called online treatment, Telemedicine and e-Health.
There are many organisations that provide training and resources to health organisations in order to incorporate social media in heath care. Mayo Clinic Centre for Social Media (MCCS) is one amongst them.
The concept
YouTube establishes a communication link between the doctor and patient irrespective of their locations.It enables in the creation of a “HealthSpot Booth”. This booth has essential equipments like high definition cameras,Microphone,Thermometer,Sphygmomanometer. The patients use these machines as per doctor’s instructions .This enables the health providers to record patients heart beat, blood pressure and other important parameters. Using these parameters and conversation with the patient problem can be understood and proper treatment can be imparted. Not only this ,the doctors can generate an electronic prescription to the associated medical shop.Moreover,Efforts are being made to design such software that can track patient’s everyday activities and progress.
Need
Many countries of the world especially the developing ones suffer from the shortage of good doctors. Researches say that in developing economies like India there are still only three doctors on every four thousand patients.
In most of the cases a good hospital is too far both in terms of distance and financial capability.
Lack of expertise in doctors and corruption in the medical world has compelled the society to look for a supportive actor in this field.
Benefits
- Affordable and Accessible
Yes It is now possible for the poorest people to get the richest treatment. The avalanching use of smart phones and mobile net throughout the worlds makes this treatment possible. - Organisation Progress
Fund raising, better customer services and support, advertisement of new services, feedback on previous treatments are some of the valuable benefits brought by YouTube to an organisation.
It also helps them to spread awareness regarding a particular disease.The organisations can stay tuned with the patients forever. - Knowledge enhancement
Doctor is a profession that does not expects and accepts any flaws. Even a minute mistake can be life taking.Using YouTube doctors can share and use the best practices across the globe.They can be part of open forum where discussion of their own problems can be done to arrive at the best solution.They can also read new discoveries, be a part of any research ,help and get helped .The long and short of it is that YouTube if judiciously explored can improvise professional skills of doctors. - Smarter Customers
Apart from providing best and cheapest services at door steps ,YouTube makes patients aware of a disease cause, prevention and cure.herby making the public smarter and healthier. They can also visit inspirational videos which will give them strength to fight and overcome their disease. - Economic hike
The total profit internationally earned by heath care business is around 3 billion U.S.dollor. e-health contributed 1.6 billion U.S. dollor in it.
Scope
Only a healthy country can witness a healthy economy. E-health is popular in the west zone .Mediaangles and Medanta are the world famed contributors.It is now time for the eastern developing countries to realise the benefits of e-HEALTH and raise funds ,efforts for the same.
Conclusion
e-Health is thus a feasible and good option .However more efforts are to be made to make this technique effective,legal and reliable.only than it can reach to the dusty streets.
