The use of telemedicine is growing rapidly and Abermed is at the forefront of the latest developments.

The driving force behind advances in telemedicine is the need for the provision of quality medical advice to remote locations, both in the UK and overseas – whether that is an oil platform or a far flung corner of the world.

Telemedicine enables health care to be delivered from thousands of miles away, using electronic communications equipment.

The equipment used can be as basic as a telephone which enables a medic to discuss a case with a doctor and seek advice.

At the other end of the scale, using video and real‐time data capture together it is possible to obtain an effective consultation with a specialist doctor or surgeon based anywhere in the world.

Telemedicine allows easy access to highly qualified occupational health and other medical disciplines, without the need for either the medical practitioner or the patient to travel long distances to carry out the consultation.

Of course there are still occasions when there is a need for the individual and the patient to meet face to face, but this is greatly reduced using telemedicine.

Abermed is a distributor of the Telemedics VitalLink system which enables a doctor remote from the patient to view vital signs in real time, so the doctor can assist and guide the medic towards the most appropriate treatment.

The VitalLink unit can also be used in diving operations, using bluetooth technology to transmit data from a hyperbaric chamber to the VitalLink unit outside the chamber and thereafter onwards via a secure internet link to the doctor, regardless of where in the world he or she is based.