What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine comprises the Greek word "tele" which means "for" or "after", and "medicine"which means the science of healing and prevention of disease. The word denotes that there is a distance between two items. "Telemedicine" can hence essentially be described as a delivery of healthcare and exchange of health care information across distance. No doubt, telemedicine is still very popular and widely used. So, what is nowadays the correct term? Conceptually, telemedicine can be defined as the practice of medicine by a medical practitioner who is physically away from where the patient is located.

According to World Health Organisation, telemedicine is defined as, “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”.

Meanwhile Section 2 of the Telemedicine Act 2007 has defined 'telemedicine' as the practice of medicine using audio, visual and data communications.

It is obvious that the doctors diagnose an illness or an ailment once they have completed the physical examination of the patient. This enables specialists in the major cities of a country or in the world to be consulted or to diagnose illness or patients, no matter where these patients are physically located. One clear advantage of telemedicine is the reduction or elimination of physical contact or movement by either specialist or patient to another location.

Telemedicine can be divided into three areas:

(1) aids to decision-making;

(2) remote sensing; and

(3) collaborative arrangements for the real-time management of patients at a distance.

As an aid to decision-making, telemedicine includes areas such as remote expert systems that contribute to patient diagnosis or the use of online databases in the actual practice of medicine. This aspect of telemedicine is the oldest in concept. Remote sensing consists of the transmittal of patient information, such as electrocardiographic signals, x-rays, or patient records, from a remote site to a collaborator in a distant site. It can also include transmittal of grand rounds for medical education purposes or teleconferences for continuing education. Collaborative arrangements consist of using technology to actually allow one practitioner to observe and discuss symptoms with another practitioner whose patients are far away. This raises important issues of referral and payment arrangements, staff credentialing, liability, and licensure potentially crossing state lines. Two-way work stations that provide smooth digital motion pictures have been integral to the long-distance, real-time treatment of patients. As new technology is found, collaborative arrangements are the future of telemedicine.