Telemedicine

Telemedicine can be defined as the delivery of health care with the patient and health care professional at different locations. Alternatively, telemedicine can be defined as the use of telecommunications technologies to provide or facilitate medical information and services. Alhough this field has begun an explosive growth, it has been around for over 30 years. There are several applications for telemedicince. Telemedicine, for example, can be used as a tool to provide up-to-date health care to rural communities which have chronically suffered from a lack of adequate health care resources. This folder contains information pertaining to the field of telemedicine. Topics discussed include; an overview of telemedicine including its history, legal issues surrounding the field, and current research in telemedicine. In addition, you will find a directory of telemedicine professionals along with specific applications (e.g. The OUHSC Cardiac Arrhythmias Advisory System: Electrocardiographic Rhythms). This envelope contains information basic enough for an introduction to the field to applications for the professional.

Documents

Breakthrough Telepathology System

This document reports on a recent breakthrough. A group of U.S. pathologists made a pathological diagnosis using microscope robotics via the "information highway". This document would be of interest to anyone who is interested in the field of health care. It is a great example of how communication technologies can be integrated into health care. I found this document short, however, a good example of applied telepathology. I give this document a three star rating.

HEALTH INFORMATICS GLOSSARY

This site as its name points to contains a glossary of terms pertaining to the field of health informatics and telematics. This glossary would be of use for anyone delving into the field of telemedicine. It contains definitions spanning from "accountability" to "X.25". Although this may not be an exciting site, it is a useful one. I give this easy to use site three stars.

http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/CaTCH/catch.html

This document provides a synposis of the CaTH project: Collaborative Tele-Consulting for Healthcare. The focus of this project is to develop mechanisms necessary to provide computerized integrated health information resources. This document would be of interest for any individual who wants to learn more about computer assisted teleconsulting. It is an interesting site and relevant to any discussion of telemedicine. I give this document a three star rating.

Publications

This document will provide the viewer with a list of numerous publications pertaining to the field of telemedicine. This site will provide citations for those interested in either doing research in the field or just want to learn more about telemedicine. Although it is easy to access, you will need to configure a viewer to access the specific documents. This site would be most useful to those interested in further readings into this subject matter. I give this site a two star rating.

Telemedicine Information Exchange

This document which can be found in the Telemedicine Information Exchange site, contains a review of the history of telemedicine. It reviews several early projects including NASA's endeavors into telediagnosis. This page would be useful to anyone interested in the field of telemedicine. Although many people consider telemedicine to be a very "new" topic, as this paper goes on to explain, it has been in use for over 30 years. This site is easy to access but contains relatively little information compared to other sites. I give this site a four star rating.

What's New

This is a great site to keep on top of all of the latest news regarding telemedicine. It covers everything from new web sites to new publications and upcoming related meetings. The targeted audience for this site would be individuals who are interested in keeping on the "cutting edge" of telemedicine. This document is easy to access and read. It provides anyone with a quick update on new events (research) in the field. I give this site a four star rating.

Sites

Internet Dermatology Society

This site provides health care professionals (dermatologists and primary care physicians) with consultations and education concerning the field of dermatology. There are case studies and dermatology grand rounds to keep the practioner current in the field. Importantly, you are able to access a site named "Teledermatology Referral Research Form" which allows practioners to send information regarding a patient and get a consultation. This is another example of telemedicine in action. Lastly, this site allows you to join the Internet Dermatology Society and participate in their educational efforts. I give this site five stars.

OSU Telemedicine Center Research Reports

This site contains information regading telemedicine research reports. The site is maintained by the Telemedicine Center at the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. This site contains summary reports of ongoing research and issues in the field of telemedicine. Examples include, a summary of the Einthoven Project, a draft analysis of the issues and barriers regarding telemedical video applications, and a review of barriers to the deployment of telemedicine. This site also allows access to the Oklahoma Telemedicine Network and current conferences and publications. This site is intended for individulas who are interested in keeping current in this field. I give this average site a three star rating.

Telemedicine Information Exchange (text)

This site provides a wealth of information pertaining to a variety of issues surrounding telemedicine. Of interest, it contains a site called "What is Telemedicine" which provides the reader with an overview of the subject. In addition, you can learn about the history of telemedicine and access "Telemedicine in Action" a site which will provide you with up-to-date examples of real life applications. Also included is a site for products and services, current telemedicine citations, and legal and ethical issues. This is a great site to start with to get a great indepth overview of the subject. It is easy to get around this site. The audience would be anyone interested in the field of telemedicine at any level. I give this site five stars on a scale of one to five.

The OUHSC Cardiac Arrhythmia Advisory System

This site provides an excellent example of telemedicine at work. This site was designed to be used for "decision support for rural and generalist practitioners and continuing medical education". This site enables health care professionals to access current concepts and applications in the field of cardiology along with an interactive demonstration. This site is an example of how a rural health care professional would be able to access current education and consultation regarding cardiac arrhythmias. Although this site is still under construction it provides you with a great view of telemedicine in action. I give this site a three star rating (since it is still under construction).