The medical community has witnessed a big leap forward in telemedicine during the last couple of years. The credit for the telemedicine revolution goes to new technologies, such as hardware and software, cloud computing, video conferencing, and other technological breakthroughs. Also, thanks to the introduction of remote healthcare equipment, the once sluggish medical sector has now gone mainstream.

The telemedicine sector is currently witnessing a surge and it is increasingly being used to treat a wide range of health problems. It is bridging the gap between patients living in remote rural communities and medical service providers. Telemedicine is helping physicians to expand the scope of their services by enabling them to deliver services without making geographical movements.

Even though it is probable these technological breakthroughs will continue to fuel the growth and acceptance of telemedicine over the coming years, there are those less traditional sectors that can reap the benefits offered by telemedicine. Below are some examples to prove this.

1. Space Travel

Very few people are aware that NASA has been maintaining reasonably close ties with the progresses in telemedicine technologies and researches for tens of years. This implies that the space agency is all set to become the main beneficiary of future progresses in this arena. It is pertinent to note that researches in this area have gained even more importance today.

NASA’s interest in telemedicine is stimulated by its rising enthusiasm to support prolonged space missions. The agency requires telemedicine to support their space missions like the mission to Mars besides the provision of remote healthcare services to the international Space Station.

2. Sports

The lives of professional sportspersons is governed by two important factors: delivering extraordinary performance and travelling most of the time. These factors often create difficulties for them when it comes to receiving traditional healthcare services. This is where telemedicine is making inroads. Besides ensuring timely treatment of injured sportsmen, telemedicine can be used by the sports professionals to remotely and regularly consult with a healthcare specialist.

3. Disaster Situations

Disasters leave people displaced, which make them increasingly vulnerable to diseases. Remember, the United States has witnessed a series of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, tornadoes, and blizzards during the last decade. Disasters also cut people from healthcare services. It is worth mentioning here that when the 2009 Hurricane Ike hit Galveston, almost two million people were cut off from healthcare.

Telemedicine can bridge the gap between patients and physicians during disasters. Imagine telemedicine relief workers connecting displaced people with remotely stationed health practitioners. This means that telemedicine can play a great role in making certain that people get access to healthcare even during emergency situations.

To conclude, telemedicine holds a bright future in store for us. It is promising us a world where everyone benefits from high quality healthcare services no matter where we live, work, or what the situation. More and more experts are turning towards telemedicine, and you should too.