• Cardiologists interpreting ECGs from paper
• Emergency room doctor interpreting from paper, and
• Cardiologist interpreting from mobile device

The first group made fewer major mistakes than the other two groups, as was expected. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the second and third groups. This suggests that “sending the ECG images via a multimedia message service may be a practical and inexpensive telecardiology procedure,” and could be a helpful aid in cardiology consultation. In practical terms, an ER physician working in a rural or remote area could consult with a cardiologist in a larger metropolitan area, and get a faster second opinion before proceeding with treatment. And while the iMedicalApps author points out that it would, indeed, be interesting to see this repeated with higher-resolution phone cameras, this technology could be implemented now, and begin helping to save lives sooner. While telemedicine cannot be a permanent substitute for in-person care, it could save lives in an emergency.

Reference:

Bilgi, M., Gulalp, B., Erol, T., Gullu, H., Karagun, O., Altay, H., & Muderrisoglu, H. (2012). Interpretation of electrocardiogram images sent through the mobile phone multimedia messaging service. Telemed J E Health, 18(2), 126-131. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2011.0108