First few Article Sentences
We’ve all heard of it; it’s not a new concept. According to the American Telemedicine Association: “Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients’ health status.” Closely associated with telemedicine is the term “telehealth,” which is often used to encompass a broader definition of remote healthcare that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth.
Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology. Telemedicine is not a separate medical specialty. Products and services related to telemedicine are often part of a larger investment by health care institutions in either information technology or the delivery of clinical care. Even the structure of reimbursement fees sees little to no distinction between services provided onsite and those provided through telemedicine, and often no separate coding is required for billing of remote services.