Telemedicine the exchange of medical information via electronic communications has vastly changed the way deployed soldiers receive access to health care. And now, this new communication system promises to offer better access to care for veterans in the future as well.

When Dr. Ronald Poropatich first joined the military 30 years ago, the digital cameras and web cams required for the use of telemedicine barely existed. Yet, during his career as the deputy director of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center in the United States Army, Poropatich helped revolutionize health care for soldiers by bringing telemedicine technology to army bases and field hospitals around the world including in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan can get second opinions on tricky medical situations from doctors located halfway around the world. They can receive diagnoses from medical specialists even when none are stationed at their base. And they can access psychiatric care via Skype-like technology when stationed in remote locations.

Utilizing technology to diagnose and treatThough he was trained as a pulmonary critical care physician, Poropatich eventually became involved in telemedicine as a way of improving access to care for people in the military.When he was first deployed in 1993, to set up telemedicine capabilities in Somalia, the technology available to him was expensive and rudimentary.

I took a 1.5 megapixel $25,000 digital camera made by Kodak (to Somalia), Poropatich told FoxNews.com. Now you have a 10 or 15 megapixel camera on your cell phone.

Thirty years later, telemedicine has advanced greatly, allowing soldiers to email photos of electrocardiograms (EKGs) or skin rashes back to physicians back in the U.S., and receive feedback within approximately five hours, according to Poropatich. Soldiers can even use Skype-like technology to speak with specialists in real time over secure networks.

A soldier has a microphone, an earphone, and sits in front of a laptop with a webcam over a secure network thats HIPAA-compliant, Poropatich said. It meets military standards and medical standards, and its a private conversation.

This technology has allowed the military to spot medical conditions that would have otherwise been missed or quickly garner second opinions on cases that have the potential to warrant costly evacuations. They can also utilize the technology to spot false alarms, like in the case of one pilot that Poropatich treated who had an abnormal EKG reading.

If there are unusual findings on an EKG, and if theres no cardiologist around, then we have to ground that pilot, Poropatich said. But the beauty is I can now send it to a cardiologist and in this particular case we got a turnaround in 40 minutes saying this is normal, this guy can go back out today and fly.

Treating behavioral health issuesTelemedicine has also provided a way to treat soldiers for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression, while preserving their privacy.

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Telemedicine revolutionizes health care for soldiers