Videoconferencing is a term usually applied to two way visual communication over a data network. The technology has developed over the past ten years and continues to improve quite rapidly. The key advantage is that networks reach across boundaries and the possibilities for low cost, long distance, video communication are improving every day. Some specific areas of use have benefitted our clients.
MDT Meetings: both cancer and paediatrics have successfully deployed videoconferencing to allow regular meetings about current patients, involving health professionals at different locations. Now that high quality visuals from PACS and pathology can be shared across several sites, groups can meet, discuss and make decisions from locations at any distance. Our experience in networks, seminar room design, medical imaging and touch panel control have all proved valuable in successful systems.
Remote Teaching: good design and integration of lecture theatres and other teaching rooms allow events and courses to involve local and remote audiences to participate in a session.
Telemedicine: remote diagnosis using visual tools over a network can allow expert opinion to be part of a patient examination or such as an echo procedure. Some very successful systems are used routinely in the paediatric and the cardiac fields where potential travel is dangerous.
Now that hospital networks cover all locations on multi-site Trusts and have connectivity with the national N3 network some very innovative visual communication projects can operate across the country at high quality and very low cost. Interconnectivity between teaching centres on the university JANET sysem is also possible. Video South has engineered some of the most successful rooms carrying out quite complex tasks over these networks, but making this very easy for users.