The Advantages of Telemedicine

The Disadvantages of Telemedicine

Types of Telemedicine

• Telepathology
• Teledermatology
• Teleradiology
• Primary Care 

Links to Other Telemedicine Sites
 

  Imagine this scenario:

 An elderly man, age 84, lives in a rural community in central Pennsylvania.  He has a severe case of hypertension and his blood pressure and heart rate must be monitored daily.  However, the nearest hospital is one and one- half hours away, and transporting him to the center for a 5 minute check- up would be inefficient, both in cost and time.  Additionally, because of his old age, traveling that far wears him out and nurses are not justified to travel that far of a distance.  What should be done?

 Unfortunately, this incident has been reoccurring, especially in underserved areas.  Doctors are unable to provide as high a quality of care as in urban areas due to the inadequate number of specialists and a decreased level of technology.  To answer many of these problems, telemedicine has been developed.