Multinational telemedicine for trauma, disasters and emergency management - its time has come

The integration of information and telecommunications technology in emergency situations that result in trauma, injury, and significant loss of life and economic stability has been successfully developed, deployed and used in disasters. This book represents a collection of materials about how telemedicine has been applied in disasters over the past 40 years and how subject matter experts from across the international community came together and developed a Multinational Telemedicine System (MnTS) for disasters. This NATO-funded concept was evaluated and determined to have utility in disasters. It also has laid the ground work for taking telemedicine and disasters to a new level. The ability to project knowledge and healthcare delivery modalities across great distances is no longer a challenge. It is an expectation. It is something that is now a tool in the arsenal for us to respond. As technology and ICT continue to march forward, we will be able to project a wide variety of medical specialties, including surgical care and advanced trauma support. Each of these capabilities will reinforce our ability to respond and further our MnTS concept.