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Telemedicine Benefits and Expanding Medicine throughout the World

2/16/2022

A San Francisco, California resident, Peter Killcommons graduated from the New York Medical College and holds a doctor of medicine. Peter “Pete” Killcommons serves as CEO of Medweb. He is interested in expanding telemedicine to treat more people throughout the world.

Telemedicine dates back to the 20th century though it only evolved and became more popular in the 21st century. Telemedicine enables doctors and healthcare facilities to communicate and oversee patients far away from the location. Through telemedicine, more people can get treated as they no longer have to come to a hospital to get a consultation, and they can stay in the comfort of their homes. This can facilitate the relationship between the patient and a doctor as people can feel safer at home. By staying home, people can also avoid developing some conditions and diseases that they may get from other patients in a hospital.

It is also cost-effective as no more resources are put into transport. Patients can communicate with doctors more often in this way as they can just schedule a meeting when they have the time instead of taking time off from work.

Telemedicine Is a Viable Health Care Solution in Africa

10/19/2020

MEDWEB chief executive officer Dr. Peter “Pete” Killcommons has traveled throughout the world to promote the benefits of telemedicine and other medical technologies. Dr. Peter Killcommons has previously toured the West African island nation Cape Verde to support the country’s telemedicine infrastructure.

Cape Verde first introduced telemedicine services to its health care system in 2012. As a result, Cape Verdeans have enjoyed facilitated access to specialized treatment. Telemedicine services have also improved the ability of medical students and health care providers to engage in distance learning. The success of telemedicine in Cape Verde has a high potential for replication throughout the African continent.

By 2025, nearly 90 percent of Africans are expected to have access to smart devices and an Internet connection. Since this is all that is needed to receive telemedicine services, telemedicine can greatly expand health care access for millions of people in rural or remote areas. Telemedicine also improves the entire health care experience, as medical providers can more easily check in with patients who may otherwise face logistical obstacles to attending appointments.

Common Forms of Home Health Care

1/16/2019

Peter (Pete) Killcommons, MD, leverages nearly three decades of experience in the medical industry as the CEO and founder of Medweb in San Francisco, California. As CEO, Dr. Peter Killcommons regularly travels to locations such as Cabo Verde, Africa, to expand the use of telemedicine.

Recently, Dr. Killcommons also visited Japan to expand the use of Medweb’s health services for home health care of the elderly. Home health care encompasses a variety of in-home services that typically help elderly individuals maintain their independence. Moreover, home health services help delay the need for institutional care, such as nursing homes, and help the elderly remain in their own homes longer.

Some common forms of home health care include personal care and companionship, which provides support for basic, everyday activities. Another form, private duty nursing, provides more intensive care for individuals dealing with a chronic illness, injury, or disability. Last, physician-directed home health care is a short term form of caring for patients in their own home. Also known as intermittent skilled care, it supports patients as they recover from a recent injury or illness.

Understanding Mobile Health Technology

1/11/2019

The CEO of Medweb, Peter Killcommons, MD, has dedicated his medical career to helping those in need. Among his activities, Dr. Peter Killcommons expanded the use of telemedicine in Cabo Verde, Africa. Dr. Pete Killcommons recently traveled to Japan to improve mobile health technology in home health care for the elderly.

A new and rapidly evolving field of medicine, mobile health technology, also known as mHealth, harnesses the power of mobile devices in private medical and public health practices. Although it has yet to develop a set definition, it has a clear aim: more efficient, improved health care specifically adapted to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

The use of mobile health technology offers benefits to both doctors and patients. For providers, it allows for real-time monitoring of patients, and enables medical professionals to offer care remotely. For patients, mHealth technology may take the form of accessing records and tracking health through the convenience of mobile devices.

The 2015 ATA Annual International Meeting and Trade Show

12/5/2017

For more than 20 years, Dr. Peter (Pete) Killcommons has served as the CEO of Medweb, a technology solutions provider that specializes in the delivery of secure telemedicine and teleradiology products. Dr. Peter Killcommons maintains membership with the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

In a recent press release, the ATA announced that registration is open for the ATA Annual International Meeting and Trade Show in May. The conference has been taking place for 20 years, and has become the largest gathering of health-care entrepreneurs and professionals in the telehealth, telemedicine, and mobile health industries.

According to the press release, the 2015 peer-reviewed program will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will include more than 500 educational seminars and sessions. The forums will explore the most recent innovations, uses, and delivery methods in telemedicine. With at least 6,000 attendees, the event also offers a wide range of opportunities to network with peers and meet leaders in the telemedicine industry. The exhibit hall will additionally feature 300 vendors showcasing cutting-edge remote health-care services and technologies.

Telemedicine Association Hosts Policy Forum

8/15/2017

Since 1992, Peter (Pete) Killcommons has served as CEO of medical software and device company Medweb. A member of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), Peter Killcommons stays informed about key developments in his field.

The ATA is the country’s leading telehealth association and is dedicated to advancing high-quality, affordable healthcare worldwide. In October 2017, the ATA will hold a National Policy Forum in Washington, DC. Participants will discuss ways to advocate for policies and business strategies that promote telemedicine. The conference will be structured around small-group discussions, giving participants opportunities to work with representatives from Kaiser Permanente, the American Heart Association, and other major organizations.

The forum features innovative ways to connect participants. “Learning Labs” present cutting-edge information on topics in telemedicine, while “Exchanges” pair attendees with decision makers in the field who can answer their questions. In the evening, attendees can meet new people in a relaxed and fun setting at a reception/celebration. Attendees also may participate in congressional visits.

CEO Delivers Keynote at Armenian International Telemedicine Congress

8/7/2017

Peter Killcommons serves as the founder and CEO of Medweb, which encompasses medical imaging, teleradiology, and telemedicine divisions. In 2011, Pete Killcommons gave the keynote presentation at the First Armenian International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth.

The congress, titled “ARMTELEMED: Road to the Future,” presented a theme of forward thinking in Armenian telemedicine. It took place October 14-16 and was attended by 287 participants, including 53 international participants and 76 students of the congress’ host venue, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University.

Peter Killcommons’ keynote speech focused primarily on the implementation of telemedicine technology in eastern Afghanistan, specifically two participating hospitals in Jalalabad. Medweb created and donated the system to the Armenian telemedicine association, in an attempt to help rural areas of Armenia become more medically advanced. The hosts of the congress presented Killcommons with a personalized bottle of Armenian cognac and an invitation to the following year’s congress.

West African Island Country Blessed with 11 New Telemedicine Centers

7/16/2017

Since 1992, Peter "Pete" Killcommons has been running Medweb, a San Francisco, California-based medical software and device company. When he’s not overseeing the company’s radiology and telemedicine divisions, Peter Killcommons supports the International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (IVeH), which implemented a program for the creation of telemedicine centers in the West African island of Cabo Verde.

Cabo Verde was considered an ideal location to implement the Integrated Telemedicine and e-Health Program. The country had only 282 doctors and 87 nurses. There were just over 1,000 hospital beds, spread out across the country's sparse islands. Patients seeking medical treatment often had to travel long distances by boat and spend valuable resources to access basic healthcare services. The innovative program would allow for the remote treatment of patients through the use of telecommunications technology.

In 2012, IveH and its partner organizations implemented the telemedicine and e-health program, which saw 11 telemedicine centers built on nine of the country’s islands. Training was provided to a majority of the country’s medical staff to help them support critical telemedicine disciplines such as telecardiology, teledermatology, psychiatry, and neurology. The staff was trained to use video conferencing and teleconsulting to support clinical activity. These telemedicine centers provide the island’s citizens easier and less expensive access to quality healthcare services.

Peter Killcommons on the American Telemedicine Association

7/6/2017

As Chief Executive Officer for Medweb, Peter Killcommons understands the importance of telemedicine to the future of healthcare. A speaker at the Fourth Intensive Balkan Telemedicine and e-Health Seminar and at the First Armenian International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth, Peter Killcommons belongs to the American Telemedicine Association.

Based in Washington, D.C., the American Telemedicine Association has served as the leading professional organization dedicated to this field since 1993. With an international scope, this organization enlightens others about how telemedicine can reduce the costs of healthcare for people around the world.

The American Telemedicine Association concentrates its efforts in several projects, especially those related to education. The group informs doctors about how telemedicine can improve their practice. As telemedicine enables people from different countries to unite and share data in real time, the group encourages medical professionals to adopt these devices to enhance the potential for research and knowledge. Trying to influence legislation plays another important part in the entity's mission, and its members teach government agents about the value of this technology in order to promote favorable laws towards its growth. Additionally, the American Telemedicine Association runs campaigns letting the public know about the benefits of this technology.

Telemedical Experts Focus on Armenia

3/2/2017

In 2011, the city of Yerevan, Armenia, hosted the First Armenian International Telemedicine Congress, assembling such noted guests as Dr. Peter Killcommons, CEO of the telemedicine system designer Medweb. Dr. Peter (Pete) Killcommons was a keynote speaker and donated a system from his company to one of the congress’ hosts, the Armenian Association of Telemedicine, with the intention of benefiting those who might not have ready access to essential medical services.

The congress was an assembly of 287 participants from 20 countries, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe. It offered the first opportunity for telemedical users and researchers from Armenia to participate in presentations given by an international body of experts. Attendees, in turn, were able to offer insights developed through their own studies and personal experiences and then garner feedback from global leaders with decades of experience and history in the field.

The choice to hold such a conference in Armenia is significant, as it has been the focus of telemedical science since being struck by a massive earthquake in 1988 which killed over 50,000 people and left many more homeless. At the time, NASA was investing in the nascent science of telemedicine, looking to develop technologies to provide emergency medical care to astronauts.

Armenia was part of the Soviet Union at the time of the earthquake, but was opened to humanitarian aid from the West in light of the scope of the disaster. NASA’s contribution toward coordinating this remote medical assistance became known as the “Space Bridge to Armenia.” The converging of telemedical science on Armenia fostered international cooperation, offered an important means of testing new technologies and procedures, and demonstrated the capacity for telemedicine to bring medical expertise to patients in remote or dangerous locations.