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Technical evaluation of a low-bandwidth, Internet-based system for teleconsultations
E D Lemaire1, Y Boudrias, G Greene
1Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Development, Ottawa, Canada. elemaire@rohcg.on.ca
Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare
|July 27, 2000
Summary
This study found that Internet-based telemedicine systems using personal computers (PCs) and videoconferencing are suitable for specific healthcare applications. The evaluation demonstrated acceptable performance for certain telemedicine uses in community hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Telecommunications Engineering
Background:
- Telemedicine systems aim to improve healthcare access, especially in remote or underserved areas.
- Low-bandwidth solutions are crucial for widespread adoption in diverse healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of a low-bandwidth telemedicine system utilizing Internet connectivity.
- To determine the feasibility of using personal computers (PCs) with videoconferencing for remote consultations.
Main Methods:
- Eight community hospitals were connected to a central hospital via the Internet.
- Personal computers with videoconferencing software and modem connections were employed.
- Data connection rates, still-image transfer times, and live-video transmission rates were systematically measured.
Main Results:
- Still image transfer times for various resolutions (160x120 to 640x480 pixels) ranged from 29 to 411 seconds.
- A 10-second MPEG video clip transfer averaged 8.6 minutes.
- Live video transmission achieved an average of 1 frame/second with 3-second latency at optimal quality.
Conclusions:
- Internet-based videoconferencing demonstrates acceptable performance for specific telemedicine applications.
- The evaluated system shows potential for enhancing healthcare delivery in community hospitals with limited bandwidth.