Telemedicine & eHealth
TM & eH at a glance
Introduction
What is TM & eH
Definitions
Examples
Brief History
Facts & Figures
Types of Services
Tools & Equipment
Benefits
Difficulties
Future
Telemedicine & eHealth in Armenia
References & Further Readings
Related Resources
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Facts & Figures about Telemedicine & eHealth
- Although modern Telemedicine has been introduced more than 40 years ago, it is in the last decade or so, that rapid increase in TM and TH activities took place worldwide [13, 29, 36, 40, 41, 48 etc].
- In the United States there are currently about 200 telemedicine networks, involving nearly 3,500 health care institutions in the country and delivering more than 350,000 patient services annually (as estimated by ATA – American Telemedicine Association) [25, 29].
- Major electronic device, ICT and software manufacturers worldwide such as Siemens, Phillips, Intel, Microsoft and others, invest today heavily in various TM and TH equipments and applications.
- Development of Telemedicine and eHealth has recently been prioritized by such major international bodies working in health care, ICT, education and research areas, as World Health Organization (WHO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies (WABT), United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET), among others. E.g., in May 2005 the General Assembly of the World Health Organization recognized officially e-Health as useful tool in medical practice and approved the Resolution WHA58.28 on e-Health recommended to all member states “to consider drawing up a long-term strategic plan for developing and implementing e-Health services in the various areas of health sector…”
- In the USA, European Union and many other countries and areas in the world the filed of Telemedicine and eHealth is today regulated at the highest governmental level. For example, in November 2008 the European Commission has adopted a Communication to support and improve access to telemedicine for EU citizens and healthcare professionals across Europe [33]. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – a multibillion stimulus bill adopted by the United States Congress in 2009, has made the promotion of a national, interoperable health information technology (HIT) a priority [72].
- Investments into Telemedicine and eHealth applications and services nowadays reach TENS of Billions. US Administration’s stimulus plan mentioned above allocated $19 bln from the federal budget for promotion of Health Information Technology (HIT) within the United States’ health care system [71, 72]. The Telemedicine and eHealth market in the European Union, totaling in 2007 € 4.7 bln, is estimated to reach by 2012 € 11.2 bln, thus displaying an average annual growth rate of 19%.
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