Telemedicine: A Case Study

Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communication to improve a patient’s health Status (American Telemedicine Association, 2012). Patients use two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology (American Telemedicine Association, 2012).

James Paul Marcin, MD, MPH who takes care of critical care pediatric cites a recent case that illustrates the reach of telemedicine: A child who was truly sick with severely swollen glands showed up to an emergency room department (NEJM Career Center, 2013). The Doctor on cite felt uncomfortable handling the situation on his own so, they hooked up the Emergency room pediatrics for infectious disease experts at University of California-Davis Children’s hospital (NEJM Career Center, 2013). The doctors were able to review the child, speak to the parents about possible exposure and recommended an appropriate antibiotic (NEJM Career Center, 2013).
Network programs link tertiary care hospitals and clinics with outlying clinics and community health in rural or suburban areas (American Medicine Association, 2012). Point-to-Point connections using private high speed networks are used by hospitals and clinic that deliver services directly or outsource specialty services to independent medical service providers (American Telemedicine Association, 2012). Web-based e-health patient service sites provide direct consumer outreach and service through the internet. Under telemedicine, these include those sites that provide direct patient care (American Telemedicine Association,