In a recent Future Healthcare article, “Patient Empowerment: Next Generation Telemedicine Services,” Richard Bakalar, M.D., Immediate Past President of the American Telemedicine Association, addressed the evolution of telemedicine. Notably, Dr. Bakalar cited technological integration and interoperability, along with a secure medical Internet, as key enablers for realizing the potential of telemedicine services. Fortunately, due to technological advances and the ubiquitousness of the Internet, telemedicine today has evolved to a robust communications medium that is accessible, affordable and effective.
Originally, point-to-point talking-heads communication was restricted to hardwired ISDN phone line installations. Internet technology has expanded the scope of participants to include many locations from anywhere in the world, enabling a virtual team of specialists to consult on a particular medical case requiring immediate attention. Wireless technology allows remote participation from anywhere on any device; users are now untethered from the hardwired teleconference meeting rooms of the past. The open systems nature of the Internet allows integration of multiple files, alleviating problems formerly associated with software dependencies that prohibited interoperability. Encryption technology ensures that telemedicine communications are secure; today’s standards are consistent with those required by HIPAA. With such barriers removed, medical communications are far richer in information and far more accessible to multiple participants.
Following Dr. Bakalar’s depiction of the three waves of telemedicine evolution – virtual encounter, digital consultation and electronic health coach, respectively – an examination of current technological innovations reveals solutions which culminate in meeting the promise of efficient and cost-effective telemedicine services available today.
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