Teleassistance and teleconsultation using smartphones and its contribution in clinical progress of oral and maxillofacial surgery

Abstract

Smartphones, an advanced mobile device having combined function of a computer and cellular phone, have become an effective communication within and between specialties for management of patients. It provides voice, text, multimedia messages, camera, and E-mail option and helps the surgical team to communicate with each other. The application of computer technology in the field of cranio and maxillofacial surgery opened a new perspective in the preoperative planning and accurate intraoperative realization of treatment concept. A PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of science search of the English literature were done to review the English literature on teleassistance and teleconsultation using smartphones and its contribution in clinical progress of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Fifteen articles were found the relevant data were extracted and tabulated. Conclusion was drawn that teleconsultation using smartphones is a useful tool for specialized consultation, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up in remote areas. With technological evolution, new methods of delivering better health-care facilities can be possible with the help of smartphones.

Keywords: Smartphone; teleassistance; teleconsultation.