DEFINITIONS : 'the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by

health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the
exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, and
for the continuing education of health-care providers as well as for research and evaluation, all in
interest of advancing the health of individuals and their communities. WHO 1997

Telemedicine covers a growing number of medical specialties such as:- Cardiology. Home Care.
Radiology. Emergency Care. Surgery. Dermatology. Psychiatry. Oncology. Pathology.
Ophthalmology. Hematology. E.N.T. Nephrology. Pre hospital Care

APPOLO Group of Hospitals. • RN Tagore Cardiac Hospital, Calcutta. (Asia Heart Foundation).

TYPES OF TELEMEDICINE

STORE- AND- FORWARD

 Involves acquiring medical data (medical images, biosignals) and then transmitting
this data to the doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment
offline.
 It does not require both the parties at the same time.
 Medical specialties like dermatology, pathology etc is conducive to this kind.
 Most beneficial for population living in isolated communities and remote regions.

REMOTE MONITORING

 Remote monitoring also known as self- monitoring/ testing.

 It enables medical professionals to monitor a patient remotely using various
technological devices.
 It manages chronic diseases or specific conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes
mellitus or asthma.
 It gives greater satisfaction to patients.
 It is cost-effective.

INTERACTIVE SERVICES

 Interactive telemedicine services provide real-time interactions between patient and

provider.
 It includes phone conversations, online communication and home visits.,face-to-face
visits.

ADVANTAGES OF TELEMEDICINE

For the patients

People at remote areas get top class medical facility from reputed hospitals.

Reduces travel cost and save time for the rural patients.

Reduces lot of inconvenience for the rural patients.

For the hospitals

Hospitals can spread their reach in remote villages and serve people without much investment
on the infrastructure.

The hospitals get revenue from the reference made from the remote locations.

After care or post operated care patients need not come to the main hospital for minor
consultation.

Primary diagnosis can be done with the use of telemedicine

Hospitals can have CME programmes with other hospitals and medical colleges.

Hospital can run training programme from their hospitals to doctors of other hospitals.

Job interviews can be conducted.

Live images like ECG, USG, CT scan, Echo, X-rays and any video output from medical
instruments can be transmitted.

BARRIER IN TELEMEDICINE

 Physician / Patient acceptance:-

It has been found that patients have no difficulty in accepting telemedicine program.
Some resistance is seen amongst doctors. They see telemedicine as an additional duty
or workload. Therefore there is a need to weave telemedicine into the routine duties of
the doctors. Some private doctors fear that telemedicine is likely to reduce their
practice.
 Availability of technology at a reasonable cost:
There is a myth that establishment of a telemedicine platform is expensive. The basic
system needs hardware, software and the telecommunication link. In all the areas
there is a significant reduction in the price.
 Accessibility:
Although information technology has reached in all corner of the country but the
accessibility of people living in remote and rural area to the nearest health centre
(PHC’s, CHC’s or district hospital) may not be easy due to poor infrastructure of road
and transport. It may be possible that the available telemedicine system in theses
health centered may not function because of the interruption in power supply /
technical problems.
 Reliability:
Some healthcare professionals has a doubt about the quality of images (color,
resolution, field of view, etc should be of international standard) transmitted for tele
consultation and tele diagnosis.
 Lack of trained manpower:
 Telemedicine is a new emerging field Most of the healthcare and IT professionals are
not familiar with the program. Telemedicine is not the part of course curriculum of
medical students.

Telemedicine is a boon to our medical field which help he rural population the physician and
even the government in maintaining and promoting the health care of the nation.