Policy makers should reconsider their unequivocal support for these systems

General practice in the UK, as in many other countries, is under considerable strain. Despite rising list sizes and an increasingly elderly population with complex needs, the number of full time equivalent general practitioners has fallen.1 Patients report recent deterioration in the accessibility of GP services.2 UK health policy makers have suggested that alternatives to face to face consultations could improve patient access and alleviate staff workload, and local commissioners have invested heavily to promote the uptake of such alternative approaches based on telephone or electronic consulting.

Access to NewYork-Presbyterian emergency physicians is now available through Walgreens’ in-store medical kiosks like CVS has done with Cleveland Clinic.

(CNN) — A psychiatric medication system in the form of a pill with a built-in digital tracking device gained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on Monday.

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is introducing “GP at Hand,” a service which allows patients to have a consultation over video call.

The NHS has teamed up with Babylon Health, a healthcare provider which enables users to have appointments through video calls or text, through its app. Anyone who is already registered with the NHS will be able to talk to a doctor within two hours, and doctors will be able to give them a prescription sent to their nearest pharmacy, or even arrange an appointment in person afterwards if they feel it necessary.

Utilising artificially intelligent deep learning technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has recently developed an automated image processing technology that can offer efficient and accurate diagnosis using CT scan and histopathological images.

The technology has been tested on two of Hong Kong’s most prevalent cancers – lung cancer and breast cancer –achieving diagnostic accuracies of 91% and 99%, respectively, in durations of between 30 seconds and 10 minutes.

NUS medical students work with students of other faculties to come up with creative healthcare solutions

香港政府雖聲稱要推動創新科技發展，但總落後於形勢，財政資源的投入更是杯水車薪，反觀新加坡政府對初創企業的支持不斷增加，早年為吸引海外初創企業落戶當地，提供最多八成五資金資助作鼓勵，吸引不少年輕人發展創新科技；今年又宣布一擲八億港元推動一系列支持AI發展的措施，並成立聯合平台發展數據科學。

An algorithm that spots heart arrhythmia shows how AI will revolutionize medicine—but patients must trust machines with their lives.

隨着本港人口老化，醫療服務出現空前需求，人手不足導致醫療事故頻生，成為社會關注的問題，若能導入智能化的醫療技術，不但有助妥善照顧長者及長期病患者，更可減輕醫療系統的負擔。

兩間本地初創企業 Power Way 及 BNet-Tech，便運用智能醫療概念，加入大數據分析、雲端技術、感測裝置等，研發可以提醒病人定時服藥的智能醫藥分配器及具備緊急自動求救功能的智能拐杖，他們均參加了由硬蛋舉辦的「Entrepreneurs Meet Investors」(EMI)創業投資配對計劃，透過硬蛋平台接洽對醫療項目感興趣的投資者，冀籌集資金加強研發及開拓分銷渠道。

早前創科局正式推出「創科生活基金」讓民間機構申請，資助利用創新科技改善長者和弱勢社群生活品質。早前 Unwire.pro 就訪問了兩家獲得硬蛋支援的物聯網初創企業，分別設計了智能醫藥分配器和智能手杖，讓長者能夠避免忘記服藥和遺失手杖等困境，安享晚年。

PURPOSE: The aging population is at risk of common eye diseases, and routine eye examinations are recommended to prevent visual impairment. Unfortunately, patients are less likely to seek care as they age, which may be the result of significant travel and time burdens associated with going to an eye clinic in person. A new method of eye-care delivery that mitigates distance barriers and improves access was developed to improve screening for potentially blinding conditions. We present the quality data from the early experience (first 13 months) of Technology-Based Eye Care Services (TECS), a novel ophthalmologic telemedicine program.

本 港 六 十 五 歲 以 上 的 長 者 ， 近 九 成 患 不 同 種 類 的 長 期 慢 性 疾 病 ， 居 於 安 老 院 的 長 者 患 長 期 病 情 況 更 普 遍 ， 故 安 老 院 及 護 理 安 老 院 要 面 對 一 個 問 題 ， 就 是 經 常 要 帶 長 者 到 醫 院 診 症 或 入 院 ， 但 醫 療 界 認 為 該 些 由 院 舍 送 來 醫 院 的 長 者 ， 病 情 其 實 未 算 嚴 重 ， 不 過 由 於 院 舍 沒 有 醫 生 ， 故 院 舍 不 得 不 把 長 者 送 來 醫 院 。

Technology has vastly improved the medical industry. From insurance apps that allow you to quickly access and manage your plan information to electronic medical record systems that can all but eliminate the need to keep paper records to robotic instruments that have greatly improved the outcomes of complex surgeries, there is little in the industry that technology has not improved. When it comes to patient care, technology has played a major role in revolutionizing the way care can be delivered. One increasingly popular example of this is telemedicine. The question is, what exactly is telemedicine and how can people in Hong Kong use it?

寵物突然病倒，寵主一時間未必能即刻帶牠們就醫。有寵物保健服務公司推出24小時獸醫視像諮詢App，給寵主多一個選擇，先作初步諮詢，避免延醫風險。

如果你有養寵物，大概都經歷過這樣的情況：家中的寶貝突然行為反常、或是感到不適，你感到手足無措，不知如何是好。有些時候，假若寵物的情況不算危急，主人未必會立刻動身帶牠看獸醫，而會選擇上網「問GOOGLE大神」、「問FACEBOOK大神」，以搜尋相關資訊。

今時今日，互聯網發展迅速，大眾可輕易獲得飼養寵物的資訊及知識，但與此同時，這些資訊並不一定正確。如主人誤中「山埃」，可能會因參考了錯誤的資訊，危害寵物生命。如何確保網上參考得來的專業寵物資訊是專業意見？除非有個獸醫親自坐在電腦的另一端為你解答疑難吧！

SINGAPORE: Patients can soon “see” their doctors online from the comfort of their own home, with the launch of a national video consultation platform for healthcare services on Wednesday (Apr 12).

朗世達視覺健康 ：遠程醫療（Telemedicine）是網絡科技與醫療技術結合的產物，它通常包括：遠程視功能檢查和診斷、專家會診、視覺健康問題解決方案、信息服務、遠程眼視光學教育諮詢系統等幾個主要的部分，實現眼視光專家與患者、眼視光專家與視光服務中心視光師之間「面對面」的會診。遠程眼視光醫療不僅僅是醫療或臨床問題，還包括通訊網絡、數據庫等各方面問題，並且需要把它們集成到網絡系統中，實現對眼視光學資料和遠程視頻、音頻信息的傳輸、存儲、查詢、比較、顯示及共享。

隨着人口加速老化，本地醫療資源緊張，別說急症室，連到醫院專科例行覆診，亦要動輒等數個小時。大家有否想過將來可以躺在床上透過互聯網看醫生，並利用手機程式傳送心跳及血壓等資料，彈指間完成看病過程？

其實這種看病方法已逐漸在外國流行。醫療網站Telemedicine指出，遙距醫療首先會利用資訊科技分析病歷，再透過視像為病人診症。該技術應用範疇相當廣泛，除了診症，還可作遙距護理（Telenursing）和遙距配藥（Telepharmacy），又可時刻監測手術後病人情況，並進行分流。

Smart medical decisions and diagnostics are now being made by artificial intelligence through desktop computers and apps. Long gone are the days when Google diagnosed everyone with cancer – smarter intelligence systems in healthtech are now emerging with more intuitive responses, benefiting both patients and doctors.

In hopes of creating better access to medical care, Stanford researchers have trained an algorithm to diagnose skin cancer.

Experts speak out on our ageing population, with one saying that a voluntary health insurance scheme will not be enough to cope

The elderly in Hong Kong live longer than their peers in other top cities such as New York and London. They are also the healthiest and the least likely to suffer from chronic diseases.

That’s the good news. The bad news is the aged in Hong Kong are likely to receive worse health care than those in the other two cities. There are also fewer doctors per patient for them and they are more likely to end up in institutionalised care.

Close to 1,000 medical experts from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Europe heard presentations and watched live demonstrations of advanced operation techniques via the information super highway at the Chinese Telemed ’96 Conference organized by the CUHK Faculty of Medicine on 14th November.

The Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Shantou University Medical College were linked today at the first ever telemedicine conference between the two universities. The conference was held to commemorate the opening of the Orthopaedic Learning Centre, Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, CUHK which was made possible by the kind donations from Dr Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and Honorary Chairman of Shantou University Council, and other donors.

The International Organisation for Standardisation defines Telehealth as the ‘use of telecommunication techniques for the purpose of providing telemedicine, medical education, and health education over a distance’, while drawing a distinction between this and telemedicine, which is defined as the ‘use of advanced telecommunication technologies to exchange health information and provide health care services across geographic, time, social and cultural barriers’.

One Friday afternoon, I decided to check out a pea-sized lump on my neck that was causing me consternation. I started by calling my GP’s surgery in south London. A recorded message informed me there were no appointments that day; after a few minutes, a receptionist came on the line and said that I could have an appointment on Monday. Not too bad, I thought, until I realised she was not talking about the Monday three days hence, but the one 10 days away. Not so good. I could also try for a walk-in slot or a phone consultation from 8am to 10am on weekday mornings.

手機功能多，可有想過用來睇病？本港少有，但外地漸興起，有英國記者親自測試。各地紛開發類似工具，希望紓緩公共醫療壓力。本港要提升醫療效率，經驗值得參考。

在香港地看醫生，大部分人都是致電診所預約或到醫院排隊看病。但看醫生是否一定要到診所或醫院，望聞問切一番？現在可能未必。

According to a randomized trial, the Safe Delivery mobile app (SDA) is effective in improving the quality of health care services in low-income countries.

SDA was evaluated in five rural districts of Ethiopia. Seventy-three health care centers were randomized to use the mobile app or the standard of care. Perinatal mortality was evaluated by monitoring 3,601 women in active labor upon admission until 7 days after delivery. One hundred seventy-six health care workers were assessed on their knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after intervention.

Without doubt now we are in an era of internet and virtual world. We have on-line chat rooms, real- time video conferences, social websites, smartphone communication apps etc. Apparently people around the world are getting more and more easily connected.
As the medical information is growing robustly, healthcare provider are now facing more and more challenge in providing and receiving medical care and information by the means of telemedicine

Telemedicine is an acceptable and useful adjunct to conventional outreach services.

ItenhancestheCGAT’sefficiencyandimproves support to nursing home residents.

Costscanbeoff-setbylinkingupwithmore homes and extending hours of service.

醫院管理局為專科門診轉介推出新服務「預約通」，可免除市民親身到公立醫院進行新症排期。市民經手機應用程式（App）遞交資料後，預計21日內可獲約期通知，當中懷疑癌症等緊急個案約期會盡快通知。婦科服務率先開始，預計3年內推行至所有專科，料可縮減市民前往預約的時間。 記者：葉偉東、梁麗兒 醫管局資訊科技及醫療信息部總系統經理張偉民表示，計劃耗時9個月，花費50萬。預計6月推出加強版，新增QR code（二維碼）讀轉介信及取消預約等功能，9月擴展至耳鼻喉科，3年內全面推行到所有專科。惟精神科需臨床分流，或不包括在內。

Ambitious plans to halve the number of hospital outpatient appointments are being by pursued by London health chiefs seeking to transform the way the NHS operates, the Standard can reveal.

A radical change in the way people are referred by their GP for specialist hospital care in east London has begun with kidney patients, and the treatment of children by paediatricians is next in line. In addition, more pregnant women will be encouraged to have natural births and GPs will offer consultations via Skype.

With the incident at a Tai Po nursing home where residents were left naked outside by staff, treatment of the elderly in Hong Kong reached a new low.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying rightly said that the city’s shortage of land for building “was a key culprit in the poor treatment of residents at its homes for the elderly” (“CY blames elder abuse on city’s land shortage”, May 29).
What are we going to do when there are two million elderly citizens by 2041?