subject: Ask A Nurse [print this page] Telemedicine or Telephone Medicine is a generic term referring to the use of electronic media and the transmission of data that provides the analysis and/or the therapy of medical conditions to a remote location.
The utilization of telemedicine enhances the doctor-patient relationship making it simpler for the patient to seek advice to relieve the suffering caused by a disease. Telemedicine involves the use of the telephone, computer networking, data transmission and video conferencing to increase the quality of life of a person with a health concern.
Right now a picture of the current state of America's healthcare from the Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities and Inequalities Report paints a remarkably grim picture. For years, investigations such as this have exposed the serious health care disparities that presently exist in the US-- much of which are triggered by a lack of access to healthcare, especially for less affluent. As our government and also our health care companies continue to try to reduce these gaps, policymakers should continue to work diligently to eliminate any legislative or regulative hurdles that restrain improvement of the health care of US citizens.
With the broad spread of broadband technology and telephony, telemedicine is becoming a successful answer that is providing a new solution to strengthen our existing medical picture. These advancements not only result in the reduction of medical differences, but additionally lead to a decrease of health care prices.
Hundreds of applications have currently been developed, and states that have passed telemedicine legislation are recognizing many of the benefits. For instance, if a patient has cardiovascular disease, the utilization of telemedicine can allow cardiologists to supervise their patient's vital signs remotely with a patient's telephone or mobile device. These advancements can easily conserve time and funds, and also enable physicians to carefully oversee the health of their patients at a distance. This example is simply one of the many usages of telephone medicine, and the the increasing number of states that embrace telemedicine legislation, the more patients these applications are able to serve.
One of the easiest telemedicine practices to adopt is through the use of the telephone. Who would have imagined that the common telephone could provide such a wonderful benefit to persons who need immediate medical advice.
Telemedicine businesses such as Call MD Plus, Ask a Doctor, Ask a Nurse and Call a Doc all have brought into the market place professional healthcare advice and services that did not exist before. Previous to telemedicine or telephone medicine businesses like Call MD +, a person in need of medical advice had to call for an appointment with their doctor, wait, and then drive to see the doctor. Or wait, for perhaps hours, in the emergency room of a hospital or urgent care facility. Now with the telemedicine companies, the doctor or nurse, with their years of health care experience, is just a telephone call away.
Telephone Medicine is a worldwide game changer in the medical field, and this project is one beneficial step towards removing health care disparities of the citizens of this Nation.
