Just a click away: Apps bring doctors to your home

Health communication systems designed for rural, developing countries -- where hospitals are often understaffed and transportation is inadequate -- are being adapted to improve care in U.S. cities.

In many rural communities, access to specialty care represents the biggest health challenge. Since 2003, a groundbreaking initiative called Project Echo at the University of New Mexico has confronted that gap — with promising results in small towns across New Mexico and, now, around the world.

For decades, Franklin County's comprehensive healthcare plan has kept its residents some of the healthiest people in Maine despite being some of the poorest as well. Now, Oregon is looking to do the same.

Healthcare in the United Kingdom faces a major shortage of doctors, but innovative mobile applications are addressing this need through offering online video doctor consultations and AI-empowered diagnoses. Comparing the service to other mobile platforms used for taxis and dry cleaning, these medical app designers aim to both cater to modern demands for streamlined delivery services across all sectors, as well as democratize health care for those who lack traditional access.

Mental health care often requires a human touch and a personal connection. Tucked quietly in an office park in Grafton, volunteers at the COPE Hotline field nearly 23,000 calls a year from all over the Milwaukee area and some points beyond.

Women in Malawi face numerous challenges in reproductive health, especially HIV-positive mothers, and maternal deaths are still rampant in rural areas of the country. Technology is helping change the landscape of maternal health, with devices such as cell phones being used to provide women in rural villages with vital health information, and drones delivering medications where the roads are too rough for emergency services to access quickly.

Nationally, the VA has been plagued by reports of long wait times, neglect, and other failures, but clinics in New York's Tompkins County are bucking that trend. The Freeville Clinic, and others in the county, never turn away a veteran, offer specialized teams for each patient, and have tele-health options to ensure that their services are accessible.

A new app and scope that attaches to a smartphone camera has the capability to photograph a woman's cervix in high definition and send the photo to clinicians for diagnosis. This device replaces previously very expensive machines that takes similar photos and allows clinics in remote or underserved areas to access the same level of care as patients with more access to healthcare. Additionally, the app stores all of these photos in its database and is actively developing its own diagnostic tools so that in the future, the app can even help physicians to diagnose cervical cancer.

By increasing access to maternal clinics and embracing innovations in medical telecommunications technology, Mongolia has dramatically decreased deaths related to pregnancy and birth. With many people living in remote areas of desert, women in Mongolia used to suffer a high maternal mortality rate. After a series of government-led health reforms, a vast majority of mothers currently have access to maternal health services.

Indian doctors can now receive training in mental health diagnoses and treatments through a ‘digital academy’ developed by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences. The academy will provide greater access to training and expand the capacity for mental health care in rural areas of India.