{"id":16569,"date":"2016-03-03T10:56:46","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T17:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=16569"},"modified":"2016-03-03T10:56:46","modified_gmt":"2016-03-03T17:56:46","slug":"space-the-next-frontier-for-telemedicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/space-the-next-frontier-for-telemedicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Space: The Next Frontier for Telemedicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Telemedicine\"
From ancient times until today, human beings have yearned to reach out and touch the stars.<\/figcaption><\/figure> Space exploration has always captured the imagination of human beings. From the earliest times, our ancestors looked to the stars with a sense of wonder, curious about what was out there. This yearning to explore has pushed our species throughout history to accomplish in all branches of thought and knowledge, arts and sciences.<\/p>\n

Early scientists took their first steps toward the stars in ancient times, creating maps of the stars and calculating information about the planets that would be confirmed in its accuracy centuries later.<\/p>\n

With the advent of modern technology, the possibilities of reaching out into space were finally possible. In the United States, and other countries including what is now Russia, the race for space began, with countries rushing toward achievements in satellite technology and eventually space travel. Orbiting the Earth lead to the ultimate achievement at that time: the journey to, and landing on, the moon. From there, the prospect of venturing out farther into space has always tantalized us.<\/p>\n

Venturing out into space has always been hampered by our frail human bodies and the limitations that the lack of atmosphere and gravity in space imposes on us. The length of time it takes to travel between Earth and the moon, or beyond, also severely limits our ability to travel and access the necessities of human life, including medical care.<\/p>\n

Given time, science and human ingenuity will find a way, and the advancements in medical care in space are no exception. One of the most significant achievements in space medicine has been well-utilized back here on Earth, serving remote locales and bringing medical care to thousands of people around the world. Telemedicine offers new opportunities for human space exploration to once again yield to curiosity and venture out into the stars, all while maintaining our health and well-being to a high standard.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of Telemedicine<\/b><\/p>\n

Telemedicine was born in the 1960s, though the concept of transmitting medical images and data has been around since the 1920s. Though it was used to some degree as early as the 1950s, it was until the advances in computer technology that began in the 1960s that telemedicine was able to become truly viable as a means of serving people in remote locations.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the first people to truly benefit from the use of telemedicine were astronauts. When NASA first began to test the boundaries of Earth and send manned-missions into the atmosphere and beyond, the astronauts were constantly monitored in their space suits. This early telemetry measured their body temperature and other physiological responses as they were put through their paces here on Earth as well. As technology progressed in the 1970s and 1980s, NASA scientists and researchers began to study ways to make the monitoring equipment smaller and smaller, allowing for more flexibility in transporting the equipment, as well as strengthening its ability to transmit, increasing the ability to take it into more and more remote locations.<\/p>\n

By the mid-1980s, telemedicine had been refined and applied to more Earth-bound situations, including disaster preparedness and emergency response. From earthquakes and tsunamis to man-made disasters and terrorist attacks, the importance of patient management from any location has become more important than ever.<\/p>\n

Telemedicine and the International Space Station<\/b><\/p>\n

The construction of the International Space Station (ISS) has brought telemedicine full-circle, as the science that was born in the labs of NASA once again returns to the sky, helping astronauts from around the world stay healthy while they explore the new frontier.<\/p>\n

Astronauts stationed on the ISS are required to work in very cramped areas for extended periods of time. This, coupled with the effects that zero-gravity has on the human body, means that the astronauts have to be closely monitored and cared for while serving their tour. Telemedicine has become a very important part of this process, connecting the astronauts directly to physicians and specialists here on Earth.<\/p>\n

The first issue NASA addressed was to mitigate the risk of medical emergencies occurring on board the ISS by ensuring that ever mission includes a trained medical officer as part of the crew. A crew medical officer will receive approximately 60 hours of preflight training, equivalent to that of a paramedic here on Earth. The crew medical officer functions in many ways like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant would, providing many medical services in the absence of a doctor. This ability is increased by the effectiveness of telemedicine, which allows the crew medical officer to access a wealth of medical information and, when needed, connect directly to doctors and specialists who can assist with any illness or conditions encountered.<\/p>\n

Ultrasound technology<\/a> is a specific area of telemedicine that NASA has been studying and that the ISS has made use of. Along with other crew medical data, ultrasound images are transmitted on a routine basis to the ground-based doctors for training as well as diagnosis. Connection speeds are sometimes slow and unreliable, but NASA has viewed this as an opportunity to innovate, creating educational modules to enable performance of even complex ultrasound examinations without the lag-time between the ground and the ISS interfering.<\/p>\n

Conquering New Medical Frontiers in Space<\/b><\/p>\n

NASA and international space agencies continue to leap forward with research and exploration as privately-owned companies begin to dip their own toes into the vastness of space. As the possibility for extended and even long-term stays in space has increased, the thought of colonizing the moon or sending an exploration team to Mars is becoming a reality. And, while NASA ventures farther into space, private companies are testing rockets that may allow average citizens to take a round-trip tour in space.<\/p>\n

With these advances comes the necessity of increasing access to medical care and the need for maintenance care. Long-term residence on the ISS, or in a colonial environment, requires far more diversity of healthcare than a standard six-month tour would, including access to prescriptions. As average citizens begin to make their way into space for recreation, or become part of the colonial efforts on the moon or Mars, the types of medications that need to be monitored and provided for will change as well. Common non-life-threatening conditions on Earth, such as erectile dysfunction, will be encountered and will require that certain medications, such as Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra, be on-hand, at least in small quantities to treat the condition. These medications may also be used in their other capacities, as cardiac medications.<\/p>\n

Long-term space travel also has its own unique health issues and effects, and quality medical care is necessary for maintaining good health throughout the entire trip. The effects of zero-gravity on the body, including the diminishing of the calcium levels in the body’s bones, will require unique approaches in treatment to supplement deficiencies and counter the effects, prolonging the body’s ability to remain in space.<\/p>\n

\"Telemedicine\"
Supplements and maintenance medication will become necessary as our ventures into space become more long-term.<\/figcaption><\/figure> Telemedicine: What Does the Future Hold?<\/b><\/p>\n

As telemedicine ventures farther out into space, its technology and usage must adapt. Rather than connecting directly to Earth-bound doctors and surgeons, telemedicine on the moon and beyond may rely on a relay through the ISS, allowing crew medical officers to assist in treatments and facilitate interactions with personal physicians on Earth.<\/p>\n

Educational modules will become especially important during these long journeys, when signal connections may be scattered and unreliable. These educational modules will help the on-site crew medical officers to perform necessary procedures, from minor repairs to significant surgeries.<\/p>\n

Long-distance telesurgery may be on the horizon as well, done either remotely or with the aid of robotics<\/a>. Though the problem of distance and transmission has yet to be overcome, the possibilities of performing surgery on ISS and in space beyond will be closely linked with the technology of telemedicine.<\/p>\n

Telemedicine has played a huge role in the expansion of space exploration, allowing astronauts to go farther into space, and to stay longer than ever before. As new technologies are developed and medical advancements made, telemedicine’s use on the International Space Station and on missions back to the moon, and possibly even to Mars and beyond, will only continue to increase. Astronauts, and eventually average citizens, will be able to access the expertise of doctors and other medical experts whenever necessary, making the prospect of conquer new frontiers in space more within reach than ever before.<\/p>\n

If you would like more information about the products that eDrugstore offers, especially those used to treat erectile dysfunction<\/a> and related conditions, please visit our website.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/i>
\nGabriella Messina<\/a> is an author who has written online content on a variety of healthcare and medical topics, including fitness and nutrition, health education, supplementation, and medical innovation.<\/i> \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Space exploration has always captured the imagination of human beings. From the earliest times, our ancestors looked to the stars with a sense of wonder, curious about what was out there. This yearning to explore has pushed our species throughout history to accomplish in all branches of thought and knowledge, arts and sciences. Early scientists […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[189],"class_list":["post-16569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-health-news","tag-telemedicine"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t