The spacebridge to Russia project: Internet-based telemedicine

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been a pioneer in telemedicine since the beginning of the human spaceflight program in th e early 1960s. With the rapid evolution in computer technology and equally rapid development of computer networks, NASA and the Department of Surgery in Yale University's School of Medicine created a telemedicine testbed with the Russia Space Agency, the Spacebridge to Russia Project, using multimed ia computers connected via the Internet. Clinical consultations were evalua ted in a store-and-forward mode using a variety of electronic media, packag ed as digital files, and transmitted using Internet and World Wide Web tool s. These systems allow real-time Internet video teleconferencing between re motely located users over computer systems. This report describes the proje ct and the evaluation methods utilized for monitoring effectiveness of the communications. The Spacebridge to Russia Project is a testbed for Internet -based telemedicine. The Internet and current computer technologies (hardwa re and software) make telemedicine readily accessible and affordable for mo st health care providers. Internet-based telemedicine is a communication to ol that should become integral to global health care.