Telemedicine which is also referred to as telehealth or e-health is the delivery of health care and the sharing of medical data over distances using telecommunication technologies.
Telemedicine systems are supported by the state-of-the-art technologies like interactive video, high-resolution monitors, powerful computer systems, biotelemetry data acquisitions systems, expert clinical decision or recommendation systems, electronic patient record systems supported by high-speed computer networks and telecommunication systems such as wireless networks, fiber optics, satellites and cellular/mobile communication technology.
Patient teleconsultations use telecommunication methods to acquire and transmit medical data, including audio, video, and still live images between a patient and a health professional e.g. wireless or wired computer networks, internet or web based communications.
Remote patient monitoring systems use smart devices to collect and send data to a remote monitoring station for collection, interpretation, and evaluation. This is usually done from a patient’s home using special vital sign monitors that are able to pick up the patient’s vital signs like the heartbeat, blood pressure, blood glucose, temperature, ECG, etc. This can also be done in emergency care units like in Ambulances.
