Telemedicine of the Heart Real-Time Telescreening of Echocardiography Using Satellite Telecommunication

Toyohisa Miyashita; Masaomi Takizawa; Keiji Nakai; Hirofumi Okura; Hirohito Kanda; Sumio Murase; Tetsuya Ichijo; Yoshiaki Karaki; Toru Oue; Kazuo Yagi

doi:10.1253/circj.67.562

Rapid Communication

Telemedicine of the Heart

Real-Time Telescreening of Echocardiography Using Satellite Telecommunication

Toyohisa Miyashita, Masaomi Takizawa, Keiji Nakai, Hirofumi Okura, Hirohito Kanda, Sumio Murase, Tetsuya Ichijo, Yoshiaki Karaki, Toru Oue, Kazuo Yagi

Author information

Toyohisa Miyashita
Department of Medical Informatics
Masaomi Takizawa
Department of Medical Informatics
Keiji Nakai
Department of Medical Informatics
Hirofumi Okura
Department of Medical Informatics
Hirohito Kanda
Department of Medical Informatics
Sumio Murase
Department of Medical Informatics
Tetsuya Ichijo
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine
Yoshiaki Karaki
Koshoku Central Hospital
Toru Oue
National Space Development Agency (NASDA)
Kazuo Yagi
Tokyo Health Science University

Keywords: Echocardiography, Satellite communication, Telemedicine

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2003 Volume 67 Issue 6 Pages 562-564

DOI https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.67.562

Details

Abstract

The early detection of disease is important to keep people healthy, but it is not easy for elderly residents living in rural areas at a distance from well-equipped medical institutes to be examined. Therefore, the present study evaluated the usefulness of real-time telescreening of echocardiography using satellite communications. The participants in this study were 57 residents of a rural community in Japan. The resolution of the real-time ultrasound images sent by communications satellite was almost identical to that of the original images taken in the hospital. Although some problems remain to be solved, telescreening of echocardiography will be a practical method for public health in the near future. (Circ J 2003; 67: 562 - 564)

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