Musings of a Cardiologist

From today I will publish a series of posts that are going to concentrate exclusively on Telemedicine and its practical applications. The first post deals with a basic introduction to the early yet exciting world of Telemedicine.

First off the definition. According to WHO, there are no less than 104 peer reviewed definitions of Telemedicine. So, for matters of convenience we will take the WHO definition of Telemedicine as the standard:

“The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care 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 the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities”

 Telehealth is a new field of endeavor and one in which many of the waters are uncharted. But if telemedicine and Telehealth are going to provide ideal solutions for today’s population then the main problem is how to fit the people to the technology rather than the development of technology to previously uncharted and inaccessible height. Will telemedicine truly revolutionize healthcare? Only time can tell because the adoption of telemedicine is dependent on a myriad collection of economic, social, cultural factors.

 Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have great potential to address some of the challenges faced by both developed and developing countries in providing accessible, cost effective, high quality health care services. Telemedicine uses ICTs to overcome geographical barriers, and increase access to health care services. This is particularly beneficial for rural and underserved communities in developing countries – groups that traditionally suffer from lack of access to health care.

The importance of evaluation within the field of Telemedicine cannot be overstated: the field is in its infancy and while the promise is great, evaluation can ensure maximization of profits. ICTs can be costly as can be the programs using it. Indeed, The most frequently cited barrier to telemedicine worldwide is its cost.