One of the flagship features of the iPhone 4 is its video conferencing capabilities, a la FaceTime. Two doctors, however, are putting Apple's claim that FaceTime is the next generation of telecommunication to the test. In a Jetsons style conference, they are able to consult at-risk patients who need limb amputation without being in the same room.
University of Arizona surgeon David Armstrong recently used FaceTime to let Los Angeles Surgeon Lee Rogers' see a patient's foot who was at risk for amputation.
“This really is a game changing tool,” said Armstrong. “While the University of Arizona has had one of the world’s top tele-health systems, the ability to communicate quickly with something that is an afterthought has the potential to alter how we work with our colleagues and patients. Just as with the iPod in music and the laptop in computing, it is not the change in technology, but the change in form factor and ubiquity that alters this landscape.”
It's nice to see that the iPhone 4 is allowing everyone (including doctors) to communicate with each other around the country, or around the world, with a few simple taps. There's no doubt that we will see more of this if the next iPod touch includes FaceTime, as a recent rumor suggests.
via Cult of Mac
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