What started as two physicians consulting about a patient by e-mail has now reached the point where telesurgery is possible. The use of communication technology to provide medical care and education at a distance or telemedicine has exploded in the last ten years especially in medically underserved rural areas. At present, there are more than 200 telemedicine programs in the U.S., including centers in academic medical institutions.
Telemedicine’s economic role as consumers and insurers demand more cost-efficient medical care is expected to be big. There are plans to use telecommunication equipment to home-monitor the conditions of thousands of chronically-ill patients due to a study that showed that such a program could decrease hospital length of stay, emergency room trips and home-care nurse visits. The full potential of telemedicine is yet to unfold.