Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Definition of Telemedicine
History of Telemedicine
Current Trends in Telemedicine
Online Telemedicine Resources
Introduction
The development of telecommunications and computer technology since the 1960's
Space Age has implications for the improvement of the quality of health care for those
who live in remote or isolated areas where access to quality health care has traditionally
been a problem (Samuelson, 1986; Zundel, 1996).
Telemedicine, the use of two-way telecommunications technology, multimedia, and
computer networks to deliver or enhance health care, is a growing trend internationally,
with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia among the
leaders in developing this field (Basher et al., 1975; Foote, 1976; Basher and Lovett,
1977; Picot, 1985; Cronin, 1995).
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Definition of Telemedicine
Telemedicine is defined by the Telemedicine Information Exchange (1997) as the "use
of electronic signals to transfer medical data (photographs, x-ray images, audio, patient
records, videoconferences, etc.) from one site to another via the Internet, Intranets,
PCs, satellites, or videoconferencing telephone equipment in order to improve access to
health care." Reid (1996) defines telemedicine as "the use of advanced
telecommunications technologies to exchange health information and provide health
care services across geographic, time, social, and cultural barriers."
According to the Telemedicine Report to Congress (1997), "telemedicine can mean
access to health care where little had been available before. In emergency cases, this
access can mean the difference between life and death. In particular, in those cases
where fast medical response time and specialty care are needed, telemedicine
availability can be critical. For example, a specialist at a North Carolina University
Hospital was able to diagnose a rural patient's hairline spinal fracture at a distance,
using telemedicine video imaging. The patient's life was saved because treatment was
done on-site without physically transporting the patient to the specialist who was located
a great distance away."
In addition, the 1997 report states that "Telemedicine also has the potential to improve
the delivery of health care in America by bringing a wider range of services such as
radiology, mental health services, and dermatology to underserved communities and
individuals in both urban and rural areas."
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The results, reported in "Final Report: Video Requirements for Remote Medical
Diagnosis" (SCI Systems, Inc., 1974), included: 1) statistical significance between the
means of the standard monochrome system and the lesser quality systems did not
occur until the resolution was reduced below 200 lines or until the frame rate was
below10 frames a second; 2) there was no significant difference in the overall diagnostic
results as the pictorial information was altered; 3) there was no significant difference in
remote treatment designations of TV system type that would cause detriment to
patients; and 4) the supplementary study of transmissions of 25 cases using televised
radiographic film showed no diagnostic differences between the televised evaluations
and direct evaluations if the televised evaluations were above 200 lines and special
optical lenses and scanning techniques were utilized (Telemedicine Research Center,
1997).
In 1989, NASA conducted the first international telemedicine project, Space Bridge to
Armenia/Ufa, after a powerful earthquake struck the Soviet Republic of Armenia in
December 1988. An offer of medical consultation was extended to the Soviet Union by
several medical centers in the United States. Telemedicine consultations were
conducted under the guidance of the US/USSR Joint Working Group on Space Biology
using video, audio, and facsimile between a medical center in Yerevan, Armenia and
four medical centers in the United States. This project was extended to Ufa, Russia to
aid burn victims there after a fiery railway accident (Telemedicine Research Center,
1997).
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