Telemedicine - Essay Example

Telemedicine is a general term used to describe the use of modern telecommunications and information technologies to provide clinical care to remote patients. One of the most technologically and clinically evolved areas of telemedicine is teleradiology. This subspecialty utilizes the electronic transmission of radiological images from one location to another for purposes of interpretation, or consultation, or learning. The highly improved capacity of the internet and the speed of transmission have enabled a much wider use of teleradiology with centers operating worldwide in differing time zones to provide daytime reports for “after-hours” imaging services. Explored for nearly 50 years and now an established part of routine health services, teleradiology is poised to be telemedicine's largest field. It has improved workflow both in terms of range and variety of work, and is predicted to significantly improve service to rural areas especially in view of the current shortage of radiologists.

The wording of the report could lead to clinical problems. For instance, healthcare notions could vary between countries. Thus, recommendations for further imaging which might be appropriate in the country where the teleradiology service is provided may not be right in the country of the patient.

One of the main criticisms of the technology is about teleradiology leading radiology to become a commodity (Maynard, 2008). Also, according to Maynard, there is the fear that, as radiology becomes more and more subspecialized, it might become an issue as to who is best qualified to interpret the findings.