[Telemedicine and cardiology].
BACKGROUND
Telecommunications and information technology provide clinical care at distance by means of telemedicine. Hospitals and other health care facilities use medical telemetry devices for monitoring patients' vital signs. These portable devices are used for measuring patient vital signs such as ECG, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, capnography (CO2) and other important parameters and then transmit these information to a remote location using a nearby receiver.
Eliminating the need for wired connection with the patient, monitors allow, otherwise bedridden patients to be mobile, which shortens the recovery time. Wireless technology is also useful in the emergency care units, because emergency physicians need not leave their patients while consulting a handheld wireless device. This equipment also enables a paramedic to communicate with emergency physicians for early assessment, well before patients' arrive in hospital.
Certain types of medical telemetry devices may be used in home conditions. Telemetry can provide monitoring and home health care services at distance, using advanced telecommunications and information technology in patients with reasonably stable, but a severe, chronic, difficult condition and caring home environment. This information can enable health-care providers to effectively manage treatment without need for acute emergency treatment and hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
Hospitals worldwide are under constant pressure to decrease healthcare cost and to improve treatment outcome. Telemedicine and home health care may be one of the solutions for the problem.
Jelkić
Nikola
N
Klinika za kardiologiju, Institut za kardiovaskularne bolesti, Sremska Kamenica.
Canji
Tibor
T
Ivanović
Vladimir
V
Srdanović
Ilija
I
Mirković
Milena
M
Vujin
Bojan
B
D002309:Cardiology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D017216:Telemedicine; D013686:Telemetry