In a life-saving situation, mobile video can come to the rescue

If you find yourself coming to the aid of a person in a life or death situation, using the video feature on a smartphone to talk with emergency services can boost your confidence in performing life-saving techniques, according to a new study.

The new Norwegian study, reported on healthcare-technology news site MobiHealthNews on April 11, put 180 high school students through a simulated cardiac arrest situation, with half of the students relying on 3G mobile video calling and the other half relying on audio-only calls to listen to instructions on how to save a life.

Most of the students gave the video calls a thumbs up, saying it boosted their confidence. But it wasn't a perfect solution: some students complained that the audio quality of the video calls wasn't always up to par, which could be dangerous if a rescuer might mishear life-saving instructions.

Using mobile phone technology to advance first aid rescue and health care is a hot medical trend. Earlier this year a new iPhone app was launched to connect CPR-trained good Samaritans to people in urgent situations, particularly those suffering heart attacks. When an emergency dispatch center (911 in the US) receives a call for an emergency occurring near a CPR-trained person, that person receives a notification with the victim's location. Right now the service is being beta-tested in San Ramon, California, with plans to expand to other cities once the system is perfected.

A smartphone service widely available connecting patients with physicians is 3G Doctor, which allows patients to video consult via a smartphone with registered doctors anytime, anywhere, as a supplement to in-patient visits with their general practitioners.

The study was published in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare: http://jtt.rsmjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/2/88