Telemedicine for Remote Areas

Nagasaki Prefecture in southern Japan has many islands, and there are health disparities with urban areas. Doctors there addressed this by offering remote examinations of rheumatoid arthritis in islanders. A patient's hand held in front of cameras at an island hospital is seen as a 3D hologram by a doctor in the city. Eye doctors in Japan are detecting early-stage cataracts in poor countries to prevent blindness. A smartphone device lets them examine patients remotely in areas with few doctors.