Patt Elison-Bowers

Merging Video Technology with Personal Health Records to Facilitate Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism

Improved imaging techniques and an increased demand for a personal health record platform indicates that a telehealth based system has an excellent potential for improving patient care, providing a high capacity for information storage and retrieval, and for reducing healthcare costs. A video-capture technology is presented that will allow parents, schoolteachers, and other caregivers to capture a childs behavior for subsequent evaluation by an appropriate specialist worldwide. This platform is especially pertinent for the timely evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder affecting many children in the US. Early intervention is important in treating this disorder. Long waiting periods delay evaluation and children often do not receive timely therapy. The new telehealth based system may shorten the time for a diagnosis, potentially increase diagnostic accuracy, reduce costs, and contribute to improved status of personal health records. Health insurance providers who must recognize the cost-saving potential of this approach will likely drive the commercial viability of this technology