Peripheral Devices

A key feature of telemedicine systems, which distinguishes them from simple videoconferencing systems, is the use of peripheral devices. These enable the clinician to better approximate an on-site physical examination, and include electronic versions of standard examination tools (stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes) as well as other ‘sense extending’ implements that are almost exclusively electronic: close-up cameras and document stands, dermascopes, and microscopes. These are the tools that might be most useful in a multi-specialty telemedicine practice. There is as well a wide range of electronic tools specific to various specialties: cardiology (cf. vol. 4, no. 3), ophthalmology (vol. 4, no. 5), radiology (vol. 4, no. 6), etc. To our knowledge, there has never been a survey soliciting observations from users about just which peripheral devices they’re using, which they aren’t using, and why. We thought it might also be interesting to fire a few questions at some prominent vendors to see what they’re up to.