Eastman Department of Dentistry
Rochester, New York
Teledentistry centers were recently created in a handful of inner-city elementary schools and child care centers in Rochester, New York. Dental assistants were given intraoral cameras to capture digital images of children's teeth. The images were sent to the Eastman Department of Dentistry at the University of Rochester, and a dentist at the university reviewed the images. Recommendations for appropriate treatment and procedures were then given to the assistant. By the end of 2005, over 170 dental images had been sent to the university, many of these representing a child’s first dental experience. Consequently, numerous inner-city children who previously did not have the opportunity to visit a dentist have received dental examinations and feedback at an early age.
NORTH Network
Ontario, Canada
In 1998, NORTH Network was created to bring medical services to some of Canada's most isolated areas in northern Ontario. The program uses video-conferencing technology to provide basic medical services, as well as speciality services including cardiology, neurology, and radiology. Thanks to the benefits and accessibility of ICT, the number of medical consultations through NORTH Network has increased dramatically since its inception. The service now averages more than 1,000 patients per month.
First Municipal Children's Hospital
St. Petersburg, Russia
Prior to 2002, physicians at First Municipal Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia could not communicate with other doctors in the medical community due to a lack of ICT infrastructure. After computer networks were installed with internet access, doctors were able to access educational resources directly from Georgetown University Children's Medical Center and the Lombardi Cancer Center’s databases in Washington, DC. The network includes an electronic microscope and digital imaging equipment which allows physicians to send images via e-mail in order to conduct international medical consultations. An exchange of ideas now takes place across national and cultural borders.
Neighboring India has made some recent strides in telemedicine initiatives, including the following: