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The delivery of healthcare services, where distance is a critical factor, by all healthcare professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for continuing education of healthcare providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities
Types of Telemedicine Process
Telemedicine process can be categorised in two ways i.e. technology involved and application adopted.
Real Time or Synchronous:
Real time telemedicine could be as simple as a telephone call or as complex as telemedical video conference and tele-robotic surgery. It requires the presence of both parties at the same time and a telecommunication link between them that allows a real-time interaction to take place. Video-conferencing equipment is one of the most common forms of technology used in synchronous telemedicine.
Store-and-forward telemedicine or Asynchronous:
It involves acquiring medical data (like medical history, images, etc) and then transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time later for assessment offline. It does not require the presence of both parties at the same time. Examples are tele-pathology, tele-radiology, tele-dermatolgy.
(a) Technology involved:
Real Time or Synchronous:
Real time telemedicine could be as simple as a telephone call or as complex as telemedical video conference and tele-robotic surgery. It requires the presence of both parties at the same time and a telecommunication link between them that allows a real-time interaction to take place. Video-conferencing equipment is one of the most common forms of technology used in synchronous telemedicine.
Store-and-forward telemedicine or Asynchronous:
It involves acquiring medical data (like medical history, images, etc) and then transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time later for assessment offline. It does not require the presence of both parties at the same time. Examples are tele-pathology, tele-radiology, tele-dermatolgy.
(b) Application adopted:
- Telepathology
- Tele-cardiology
- Teleradiology
- Telesurgery
- Teleophthalmology
- TeleENT
- Telemedicine
- Teleorthopadic
- Telepediatric
Applications of Telemedicine
(a) Tele-health care:
It is the use of information and communication technology for prevention,
promotion and to provide health care facilities across distance. It can be divided
in the following activities:
- Teleconsultation
- Telefollow-up
(b) Tele-education:
Tele-Education should be understood as the development of the process of distance
education (regulated or unregulated), based on the use of information and
telecommunication technologies, that make interactive, flexible and accessible
learning possible for any potential recipient.
(c) Other applications include:
- Disaster Management
- Tele-home health care
Advantages of Telemedicine
The main objective of telemedicine is to cross the geographical barriers and provide healthcare facilities to rural and remote areas (health for all) so it is beneficial for the population living in isolated communities.
Besides this; other advantages telemedicine are:
- Eliminate distance barriers and improve access to quality health services
- In emergency and critical care situations where moving a patient may be undesirable and/or not feasible
- Facilitate patients and rural practitioners’ access to specialist health services and support
- Lessen the inconvenience and/or cost of patient transfers
- Reduce unnecessary travel time for health professionals
- Reduce isolation of rural practice by upgrading their knowledge through tele-education or tele-CME
Workflow
"Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval"
- Oscar Wilde