JOIN USAn online video-conference at the Maulana Azad Medical College connected 700 Indian doctors and 300 doctors from abroad. They entered into discussions and answered each other’s queries. Most attendees from abroad were from the middle-eastern countries.
This modern conference was part of the 3rd E-MedinewS conference. ‘E-MedinewS: Revisiting 2011’, was organised in association with Heart Care Foundation of India. The idea was to spread information about the potential of the internet and social media to find solutions to patients problems by the best consultants in the felid.
“Studies show that an epidemic is detected by social media faster than governments. Data of the last five years from the United States of America suggests that in cases of epidemics like flu sites like facebook and twitter registered more reliable data than what the government gave," said Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of
India.
He added that the same can be done for health messages too. “If the doctors can be connected through facebook pages, twitter groups, skype and such alternative media, then the best consultation can be made available even without physical presence of a doctor,” said Dr Aggarwal.
He proposed that patients can transfer their images and reports electronically and receive experienced opinion and interpretation from a experienced physician from their area. “We are extensively passing on this message through already existing groups,” said Dr Aggarwal.
A few days ago the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences started its project ILBS ECHO with the help of a software from the University of New Mexico. The project connects specialists in ILBS with doctors from peripheral areas whenconsultation for critical cases is needed.