Telemedicine refers to the electronic transmission of patient data in order to aid in the performance of clinical services. In telemedicine, telecommunication technology is utilized to serve patients. Telehealth usually refers to similar uses of technology, although the term can also be used to describe non-clinical health-related applications. The transmission of patient records and other information takes place every day, and many lives are saved thanks to telemedical interventions.

Telemedicine is extremely useful in rural areas, where specialists are often hard to come by. Small family practices in the countryside often send scans and other patient data to larger facilities for diagnosis and processing. In some cases, specialists meet with patients and their local doctors via videoconferencing technology. These uses of telemedicine increase the speed of diagnosis and treatment. They also make costly trips unnecessary for patients. Specialists are also frequently called in via telemedicalhookups for emergency situations. If an evacuation helicopter is still an hour away, a telemedicalhookup can mean the difference between life and death for a patient in critical condition.

The use of telemedical videoconferencing to meet with specialists is expanding all of the time. Some patients who find travel difficult can participate in rehabilitation programs at a distance. Physical therapists demonstrate gentle movements and instruct patients over a video feed. These services can mean the difference between quick recovery and longterm disability for people who live in isolated areas and who cannot afford to move to large metropolitan areas for treatment. A growing number of psychological professionals are also offering remote online appointments. Such appointments can be especially helpful for late-night emergency consultations.

Remote patient monitoring is another common application in the field of telemedicine. This form of monitoring involves sending data like patient vital signs to remote locations. For patients who are recuperating in their homes, such remote monitoring can be truly lifesaving. It can also reduce the need for round-the-clock nursing care. Hospital stays can also be shortened if advanced monitoring systems can be installed in the homes of patients.

One exciting application of telemedicine is remote surgery. Using specialized robotic equipment, it is possible for a surgeon to perform a surgical procedure on a patient who is in another physical location. For example, a surgeon can manipulate a controlling device that sends wireless instructions to a robot that then makes a surgical incision in real time. While such surgeries are not extremely common, they have been used successfully on many occasions. Scientists are continually researching new ways to make remote surgery safer and even more effective.

In addition to the benefits it provides to people living in rural areas of developed countries, telemedicine also has a great potential to improve the health of economically disadvantaged people living in developing countries. Some countries in the developing world have very few doctors. A developing country might have a total of only one or two doctors. By using telecommunication technology, foreign doctors can help to serve distant communities without having to physically travel to them. While technological infrastructure can be an issue, such long-range healthcare is more appealing to many doctors than the prospect of spending extended time in a foreign country.