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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What is Telemedicine & eHealth?
Telemedicine (Latin “tele” – distant) briefly described, means providing interactive medical services remotely (at a distance) via use of modern Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).
eHealth is the use, in the health sector, of digital data – transmitted, stored and retrieved electronically – in support of health care, both at the local site and at a distance [World Health Organization].
- Telemedicine and eHealth aim at providing or improving EQUITY, QUALITY, accessibility, and AFFORDABILITY of health care.
- It means ensuring EQUAL & UNIVERSAL ACCESS for everyone to QUALITY HEALTH CARE, regardless of TEMPORAL, SPATIAL, SOCIAL, FINANCIAL, or any other barriers and obstacles.
- Telemedicine and eHealth is NOT a separate medical specialty: rather it is a field of study and practice at the crossroads of technology and medicine. It is A MODERN WAY to provide conventional medical services to patients and communities.
Fig. 1: Typical example of specialized Telemedicine connection or network
[Courtesy TMD Systems; with permission]
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