Space Technologies Used to Improve Health Care in Remote Areas

Abstract

Space exploration is conducted in unique environments, such as on low-Earth orbit platforms, onboard planetary and deep space probes, and operations on the surface of the Moon and the planets (4). The characteristics of these environments and the structures needed to support human life, as well as the difficulties and costs of travel from Earth, make it impossible for medical teams to assist astronauts personally. Therefore, a solution was sought to ensure the welfare of the space travelers.The need for communication in space and between Earth and space set new frontiers for the development of telecommunication technologies and computational systems, encouraging innovative ideas to spread. This rapid process of evolution has promoted amazing modifications in almost all aspects of daily human life (1). One such advance was telemedicine, which involves the use of technological tools for the acquisition, storage and transmission of health data, and enables virtual meetings among professionals located in different parts of a region, country, or even the world (5,6).The diffusion of telecommunication technologies at low cost has made possible the implementation of a wide range of telemedicine systems supporting clinical practices in different regions of the world (7). It has the potential to enable health planning, research, education, clinical discussion, and obtaining second opinions to take place (3).The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been involved in the application of telemedicine since the earliest days of human spaceflight. Telemedicine is critical to the success of missions involving humans and has been an integral part of the health care delivery system for the space program from the beginning (4). This technology has been adapted for Earth-based application and can play an important role in a large country such as Brazil. Many areas of Brazil are remote and difficult to access, with hazardous environments that make it problematic and costly to provide adequate health care to the local populations. This problem can be further compounded by additional complexities such as uneven distribution of financial resources and severe social problems, making improvements in health assistance in remote areas more difficult. This results in delays in the diagnosis, treatment, and adequate management of medical conditions. As was found in space programs, telemedicine, e-health, and computerbased guidelines have proven to be optimal tools for overcoming these circumstances, enabling easier access to remote diagnosis and providing support to clinical decisions.The Microgravity Centre/FENG (Faculty of Engineering) at PUCRS (Pontificia University Catholic of Rio Sul) has developed a telemedicine project with the main aim of making specialized medical assistance available to remote communities, as those found in the Amazon region, using telecommunication systems, mobile technologies, and biomedical engineering as tools. Dermatology and odontology, with the support of pathology, were the medical special...

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