TELEMEDICINE
Telemedicine is rapidly changing the way medical care is practiced all over the globe. Back in the mid-90's, Ronald Merrell, of the Yale School of Medicine, said, "The innovations we will encounter as we step beyond feasibility are dazzling in their potential."
With the convergence of voice, video, and data onto one IP network, communications between medical care providers has been greatly enhanced. The increase of knowledge sharing, improved patient safety and quality of care has only just begun!
Healthcare services using telemedicine describe existing programs in three distinct categories:
1. Clinician-interactive telemedicine services
2. Self-monitoring/testing telemedicine services
3. Store-and-forward telemedicine systems
Telemedicine is rapidly changing the way medical care is practiced all over the globe. Back in the mid-90's, Ronald Merrell, of the Yale School of Medicine, said, "The innovations we will encounter as we step beyond feasibility are dazzling in their potential."
With the convergence of voice, video, and data onto one IP network, communications between medical care providers has been greatly enhanced. The increase of knowledge sharing, improved patient safety and quality of care has only just begun!
Healthcare services using telemedicine describe existing programs in three distinct categories:
1. Clinician-interactive telemedicine services
2. Self-monitoring/testing telemedicine services
3. Store-and-forward telemedicine systems
Store-and-forward telemedicine systems
Store-and-forward
tele-medicine systems collect clinical data, store
them, and then forward them to be interpreted
later. These systems have the ability to capture
and store digital still or moving images of
patients, as well as audio and text data.
A store-and-forward system eliminates the need for the patient and the clinician to be available at the same time and place. Store-and-forward is an asynchronous, non-interactive form of telemedicine. It is usually employed as a clinical consultation as opposed to an office or hospital visit.
A store-and-forward system eliminates the need for the patient and the clinician to be available at the same time and place. Store-and-forward is an asynchronous, non-interactive form of telemedicine. It is usually employed as a clinical consultation as opposed to an office or hospital visit.
Clinician-interactive telemedicine services
Clinician-interactive
telemedicine services are real-time
clinician-patient interactions that, in the
conventional approach, require face-to-face
encounters between a patient and a physician or
other health care provider. Examples of
clinician-interactive services that might be
delivered by telemedicine include online office
visits, consultations, hospital visits, and home
visits, as well as a variety of specialized
examinations and procedures.
The most common telemedicine activities are consultations or second opinions, diagnostic test interpretation, chronic disease management, post hospitalization or postoperative follow up, emergency room triage, and "visits" by a specialist.
The most common telemedicine activities are consultations or second opinions, diagnostic test interpretation, chronic disease management, post hospitalization or postoperative follow up, emergency room triage, and "visits" by a specialist.
Self-monitoring/testing telemedicine
services
Self-monitoring/testing
telemedicine services enable physicians and other
health care providers to monitor physiologic
measurements, test results, images, and sounds,
usually collected in a patient's residence or a
care facility. Post-acute-care patients, patients
with chronic illnesses, and patients with
conditions that limit their mobility often require
close monitoring and follow up.
Telemedicine programs use a variety of strategies to accomplish this monitoring while reducing the need for face-to-face visits that may be inconvenient or costly for the patient. The close monitoring afforded by these approaches may allow better care through earlier detection of problems, and may therefore reduce costs.
Telemedicine programs use a variety of strategies to accomplish this monitoring while reducing the need for face-to-face visits that may be inconvenient or costly for the patient. The close monitoring afforded by these approaches may allow better care through earlier detection of problems, and may therefore reduce costs.