Promises-Communication

Technology improves [|communication]in all settings including education. Schools' increasing online presence allows for additional modern and convenient means of communicating with parents (Cuban, 2001). Technology and the Internet also promotes greater cooperation, communication, and creativity of groups all over the world (Rheingold, 2002). Schools are no longer isolated bodies of knowledge. Connected by the Internet, individual schools form communities of knowledge, sharing research, curriculum and methods with their global colleagues.Increased communication has far reaching influences including sweeping improvements in the practice of medicine (nanomedicine), and [|Artificial Intelligence]which offers insight into human intelligence (Pesce 2000). The very world in which we dwell and its "noosphere," or collective human intelligence are built upon the [|World Wide Web], cellular phones, voice or Short Messaging Service (SMS) [aka: text messaging], and Global Positioning System (GPS).

//so what is the value of this improved communication?// -mr I think it is possible and probable to find examples of improved communications and see the real value on our society and the world. One such area I found is the use of improved communications in e-medicine. (mw)

Some essential and specific components of this type of e-medicine communications;

1. The information system must be deployed at a local level and be incorporated into other levels to form cooperative alliances with hospitals and groups of medical personnel. 2. The medical information from the field of operations along with he databases from central locations must be stored in several locations, not just one place. This decentralization will allow for efficient access, finding, analyzing, and manipulating of the information by multiple sources at the same time if needed. 3. The patient information must have a lifetime with that of the patient. It must also be extensible. It must also be gathered in the field, stored, and transfered to a database that can be accessed by multiple sources and readily recalled by practitioners in the field at later dates of care. 4. There must be a mobile device and component for information storing and access. Some considerations are the proper transfer and migration of information from device to another when devices are replaced. There must be proper assurance that information will not be lost if the practitioner and device are out of touch or range of the network for periods of time. 5. Due to the possible scale of the operation and distances between participants as new versions are introduced it may not be possible to update all devices simultaneously. Therefore some versioning system must be built in to allow for new an d old versions work efficiently side by side until updates can be downloaded. 6. There must be a distributed information and communications platform defined so services and data can remain with integrity while the system is undergoing upgrades, replacements, or repairs. Service and access must be uninterrupted no matter what to ensure proper care in the field. 8. The distributed platform should be created to last an average person's lifetime, say 80 years, before major changes will be required. 9. There must be a two way device and ability available with mobility in mine, distributed accessibility. Interactive video conferencing with synchronous ability available.

Scope of Services; 1. E-medicine can encompass diagnosis, therapeutic treatment, forensic modalities, outpatient evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy consultation. 2. E-medicine consultations can be conducted between the patient, the physician in the field, and physicians or other health care providers in other locations. 3. Periodic face to face sessions in the field may be few and far between. Updates between the field operative and the main locale can be also completed with asynchronous communications such as email, fax, and text. 4. Supervision and training can be done across time and place with video conferencing in real time or asynchronously. 5. Cognitive testing can be done in the field with a mobile device and shared to central locations for review.

Device and its system requirements; 1. There must be a large scale distributed communications computer platform created. 2. There must be a wide range of deployment of mobile devices to feed information into the network. ( smartphone with internet capabilities, storage of data, and photo and video capabilities)

Possible areas of need and deployment; 1. Third and fourth world countries and rural areas connected to first world countries and medical facilities with hospitals and schools with teaching facilities and capabilities.

Examples current and in planning for the future; 1. Residents of two Cambodian rural villages have e-medicine access to HMS affiliated hospitals and physicians with Partners HealthCare Center for Connected Health, Operation Village Health, and American Assistance for Cambodia since 2001. 2. Residents of HaTien Vietnam and the rural villages surrounding will benefit in the future from a local primary health care center connected with practitioners and facilities in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and the United States, in California and Hawaii. There will also be an educational component that with utilize distributed learning principles with distributed a cognitive approach. A school for young girls, age 8-14, will be created to teach english and computer skills. It is the hope with this education which will be delivered both in a face to face classroom and across time and place with a computer mediated classroom. this education will enable the local community of girls to become educated and be able to participate in the first world through distributed learning, knowledge, and communications. They will be able to start and sustain a distributed computer mediated business so they will be able to support their families and avoid being sold into human slavery operations and sold into prostitution only to be returned a few years later with AIDS and shunned from the community. This project will be under the auspices of Medicine 4 the 21st Century, a non profit organization created to start and sustain these projects in Vietnam.


 * It is impossible to provide a good overview of the value of this improved communication because it impacts so many different facets of our society: culture, politics, economics, etc.** **This improved communication allows interactions in collaborative groups where ideas and knowledge is shared during this process. This exchange of information inspires people to learn and make a change in their communities.**