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The term
'telemedicine' derives from the Greek 'tele' meaning 'at a distance' and the present word
'medicine' which
itself derives from the Latin 'mederi' meaning
'healing'.
 Telemedicine has numerous definitions, it is a phrase first coined in the
1970’s by Thomas Bird, referring to health care delivery where physicians examine
distant patients through the use of telecommunications technologies.
The European Commission’s health care telematics programme defines
telemedicine as:
"rapid access
to shared and remote medical expertise by means of telecommunications and information
technologies, no matter where the patient or relevant information is located."
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There are many other definitions
from simple one line statements to full reports such as that below submitted by the US
Department of Commerce, Health and Human Services to Congress in Jan '97.
"Telemedicine has the
potential to make a difference in the lives of any Americans. In remote rural areas, where
a patient and the closest health professional can be hundreds of miles apart, telemedicine
can mean access to health care where little had been available before."  "In
emergency cases, this access can mean the difference between life and death.
In particular, in those cases where fast medical response time and specialty
care are needed, telemedicine availability can be critical.
For example, a specialist
at a North Carolina University Hospital was able to diagnose a rural
patient's hairline spinal fracture at a distance, using telemedicine video
imaging. The patient's life was saved because treatment was done on-site
without physically transporting the patient to the specialist who was
located a great distance away."
"Telemedicine
also has the potential to improve the delivery of health care in America by
bringing a wider range of services such as radiology, mental health services
and dermatology to underserved communities and individuals in both urban and
rural areas. In addition, telemedicine can help attract and retain health
professionals in rural areas by providing ongoing training and collaboration
with other health professional."
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