The following are the most commonly cited and illustrative examples of Telemedicine and eHealth applications and services [26, 27, 28]:

• A patient from remote rural area is consulting with a specialist at a large urban medical center on-line, via videoconferencing, without a need for traveling 200 miles to that center.

• A radiogram or a CT scan of such patient is transmitted electronically to the large medical center, where it is viewed and “read” by an experienced radiologist.

• A biopsy specimen taken from a patient in one country is reviewed and interpreted by an expert pathologist thousand miles away, in another country.

• A surgeon operates on a patient across the continents, using surgical robot manipulated through satellite connection.

• A chronically ill patient has his/her vital signs constantly measured (monitored) and transmitted to a nurse/physician station, while staying at home in bed.

• A cardiologist on board of a transatlantic flight sees over his PDA an electrocardiogram or an echocardiography exam being done in real time on a patient admitted to his clinic.

• A surgery performed by an internationally recognized expert is being transmitted live and watched by various audiences throughout the country or the world.

• A patient logs on to his or her personal medical records page on Internet, to check the latest exam findings.

All these are examples of TM and eH applications that are there TODAY.

Many more fascinating applications can be envisioned to come TOMORROW…
[Picture: Courtesy TMD Systems; with permission]