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November 20, 2013

WebRTC Offers Patients a New Way to Communicate with Their Doctors


Although there are many changes being made to the healthcare industry, such as Obamacare, designed to provide all citizens access to affordable healthcare, policy reform just cannot solve one problem that many people face: The inability to travel to the doctor. What happens if you are sick and you are unable to get in to see a doctor or drive to his or her practice?

There where Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) comes into play. It can leverage any type of communication tools you have, from tablets to smartphones and personal computers. All you need is a device that has video capabilities.

Once a WebRTC session is initiated, users are able to communicate with a doctor live through their device. They can see one another and consult on any injuries or illnesses just as if they were in the same room. If you are worried about receiving a prescription, don’t worry. WebRTC can handle those too. The doctor can send ePrescriptions over to patients using the technology.

This will allow patients to get immediate, better and faster care if they are unable to go elsewhere for treatment. According to industry analysts, this could have a major change on the health industry.

“WebRTC is developing at breakneck speed because it has the potential to make dead simple, on-demand communications a reality for everyone with a browser. A year ago, developers would have struggled to find tools to support WebRTC projects. Now, more seem to appear daily,” writes Anthony Hooper, director of engineering, and Jean-Francois Morin, software developer at Macadamian .

However, the technology is still in its infancy and has its issues. Hooper and Morin said the technology is already coming under fire. Google, one of the companies behind the technology, has already been sued by multiple mobile providers. 

Although there will be many bumps ahead before WebRTC can be considered “perfect,” it is still a free and open project that enables Web browsers to offer real-time communication capabilities. This opens a whole new world for developers. So, get ready to talk to your doctor via video and complete physical therapy over the Internet.

 

 


Edited by Blaise McNamee

 

 

 

 

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