TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Telemedicine in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on impacts of Telemedicine on society and healthcare delivery and its relation with effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare delivery. The research also analyzes many aspects of Telemedicine and tries to gauge its effect on society. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for effectiveness of electronic health record and tries to describe the overall effect of telemedicine on society and healthcare delivery.

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Thesis Statement3

Electronic Health Records3

Telemedicine4

Impacts of Telemedicine on Health Care Delivery and Society5

The Need of Telemedicine6

Limitations and Critics6

Applications7

Advantages7

Telemedicine in Emergency Care8

Conclusion9

References10

Introduction

Thesis Statement

Telemedicine has positive impacts on health care delivery and society and it increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare devlivery system and enhavces the electronic health record.

Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records are created by computer processing, and save files related to personal health information. EHR unprecedented health file update efficiently access and call pathways, including medical records, outpatient, medical history, a variety of image information and related medication information tracking (National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources, 2006). There are several softwares and technologies for enhancing the healthcare delivery through electronic health record, among them telemedicine is a technology. In this paper telemedicine is dicussed along with its applications, benefits, and its impact on society and healthcare delivery.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine (medicine at a distance) - is the latest form of the provision of medical services and health care that combines elements of telecommunications, computer science and medicine. Through the use of new technologies, it allows overcoming geographical barriers, allowing for the exchange of professional information by sending static images and dynamic (transfer high-quality photos ECG, ultrasound, and MRI) (Telemedicine, 2001).

Telemedicine allows you to diagnose at a distance. Telemedicine is widely used in the surgical environment, which uses it to operate “at a distance”. Modern technology, using fast processors and algorithms for digital signal processing and compression, allows you to transfer high-resolution images, and an interactive audio-visual transmission with exceptional precision and in real time. Video Communication Systems are working on a public ISDN digital transmission lines, the global network of the Internet and satellite lines (Blumenthal, & Tavenner, 2010).

Impacts of Telemedicine on Health Care Delivery and Society

The country in which the first steps began to be placed on the grounds of telemedicine should be the United States. It was established already in the 60s through satellite telecommunications network linking U.S. military bases scattered across all continents with specialized medical centers in the U.S. By using the capabilities of modern technology, which brought with it the U.S. military, it has contributed to the development of this discipline. Another factor, not less important, was to make a large contribution of information by NASA. Medical care and health monitoring of astronauts had to be done out of necessity - at a distance (Whitten, Mair, Haycox, May, Williams, & Hellmich, 2002). To this day, there are many telemedicine initiatives sponsored by state governments and the ...