Application of camera phones in telehaematology.

We investigated the use of camera phones for telehaematology. First, the minimum requirements for the camera phones to be used in telehaematology were investigated. A single image containing white cells, red cells and platelets was sent from a camera phone to 33 different camera phones. Nine of the camera phones were found to be unsuitable for telehaematology due to low display resolution or no zoom function of the image. Then we examined the agreement between a haematologist using a suitable camera phone for remote diagnosis and the blood film report made in the usual way. Blood samples were collected from nine patients who had conditions in which diagnostically important morphological abnormalities occurred. In seven of the nine cases, the telehaematology responses were similar to the documented blood film reports. We conclude that telehaematology using camera phones offers a quick and potentially valuable method of support for the diagnostic haematology laboratory.