Talk:Telemedicine

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  Uhm... WTx?    -Anonymous  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.184.99.4 (talk) 05:58, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

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[edit] Definition of Telemedicine

I disagree with the definition of Telemedicine in the article. It is either incorrect or is too ambiguous and needs to be clarified.

Specifically I disagree that telemedicine refers "only to the provision of clinical services". This is even contradicted in the article by including a section on Teleradiology. Teleradiology does not fit the definition of "clinical services" so easily since it involves communication between health care professionals and does not include patients.

Or, maybe it does depending on how the term is "clinical services" is defined. For example, imagine a phone conversation between two doctors regarding a patient. Is this part of delivering "clinical services" or does the communication have to involve the patient directly?

I see telemedicine and telehealth as interchangeable terms and suggest that the two articles be merged. I want to get a discussion on this topic before editing the article.


JeremiahScholl (talk) 10:36, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

In our textbook (Maheu, et al. (2004) The Mental Health Professional and the New Technologies: A Handbook for Practice Today. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN: 978-0-8058-3988-3, pages 6–7) we discuss how the Telemedicine Information Exchange has defined telemedicine "as the use of electronic signals to transfer medical data from one location to another", but "has come to refer primarily to clinical or supportive medical practice delivered across distances via telecommunication technology, performed by licenced or otherwise legally authorized individuals. Nowadays "telemedicine persists ... for direct service delivery", whereas telehealth has become favored by government agencies and legislation. We decided to use those terms interchangeably in our book, but noted that these terms will drop out of sight as practice incorporates such communication and treatment at a distance as normal and ordinary, not worthy of special mention. As for Wikipedia, there is no point in maintaining any distinction or having separate articles. Myron (talk) 21:56, 14 December 2007 (UTC)


Telemedicine is a broadly used term. Based on my review of the literature coming from law reviews, medical, and trade journals, it for the most part now encompasses "cybermedicine" and "cybersurgery" (both parts of telemedicine) and is part of a broader "E-Health" policy. This usage is by no means set. For example, Telemedicine for purposes of medicare reimbusement in the US is called "telehealth" and must utilize real-time telecommunications technologies. This is exclusive of teleradiology which is a store and forward technology. The WHO has a particularly broad definition of telemedicine. I will add some external links that will provide sufficient additional sources for those interested in this topic. [anonymous. 4/18/08]

[edit] Psychiatry was early

Psychiatry was an early adopter of telecommunication to deliver healthcare, well before technology had advanced to a point where transmission of images for radiology became routinely cost-efficient. When I get a chance I'll correct the article text and supply references. Myron 09:01, 3 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Telehealth v Telemedicine

The wikipedia articles contradict each other re the distinction betweeen telehealth and telemedicine. I was going to try to de-conflict, but would welcome help, input, comments. Journalist1983 15:05, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Telenursing

I removed the parenthesized insertion about "Tele Nursing" being "more practical". I don't know what "more practical" means or how one quantifies or compares practicality in this area; besides, among the various aspects of telemedicine, telenursing should not be singled out here. It already enjoys its own niche in Wikipedia. Myron (talk) 13:13, 3 March 2008 (UTC)