The high concentration of doctors in urban areas have resulted in the scarcity of medical services in many rural areas. Advances in computer technology, coupled with a steady improvement of communication pathways especially through the Internet has made Telemedicine a practical means of delivering medical services where they are lacking.
Remote consultations depend heavily on digital image processing.
Equipment for medical examinations are used to produce digitized pictures or video signals and be sent practically anywhere via phone lines. Then, using a microscope, the slide image can be digitized and sent through the Internet to a pathologist in Manila. The doctor in Manila can consult with his fellow doctors, come up with a diagnosis, and send his recommendations back to the patient also via the Internet. All rights reserved.