What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the use of communication technology to deliver medical expertise from one location to another, in order to promote improved healthcare. It includes email, 2-way video, smartphones, and other forms of telecommunication. Telemedicine has applications for use in operating rooms, home health agencies, private clinics, homes, and workplaces.
With the lack of specialists, especially in rural regions, telemedicine can be used to facilitate communication between a primary doctor and a specialist to provide consultation or aid in diagnosis. It can be used to send patient monitoring data such as vital signs, ECG, and blood sugar results in diagnostic facilities for interpretation to help visiting nurses treat patients at home. Medical education for patients, as well as healthcare professionals, can be extended through telemedicine. Besides providing access to expert medical care, telemedicine is also cost-effective and time-saving, reducing stress on the patient and family.
