telemedicine
[‚tel·ə′med·ə·sən] (medicine)
The use of teleconferencing in medical diagnosis and treatment, allowing rural health-care facilities to perform diagnosis and treatment that would otherwise be available only in metropolitan areas.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
telemedicine
("long distance" medicine) Telemedicine refers to any diagnosis or medical procedure performed via a video call. The term was first used in the mid-1990s between rural healthcare facilities and medical centers, whereby a specialist monitors the patient remotely and takes cues from the general practitioner or nurse who is actually examining the patient. A patient's blood can be placed under a microscope in the remote facility and transmitted for examination.Telemedicine Has Become Mainstream
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has flourished in place of routine doctor visits as well as a way to help determine if a patient's symptoms are likely due to the virus. See telehealth, telesurgery and robotic surgery.
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| Telemedicine's "FRED" |
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| In 1995, the Friendly Rollabout Engineered for Doctors (FRED) was one of the first telemedicine units that helped specialists collaborate worldwide. The handheld camera (top right) was used for close-ups. (Image courtesy of VTEL Corporation.) |
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