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“Telemedicine is the natural progression of healthcare in the digital environment,” according to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines teleconsultation as “the delivery of healthcare services, where distance is a critical factor, by all healthcare professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and continuing education of healthcare providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their coworkers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their coworkers.” The term “telemedicine consultation” literally means “remote healing.”
Historical Context
Telemedicine’s attractiveness stems from its capacity to transmit medical data over long distances. The earliest recorded instance of Telemedicine was in the early part of the twentieth century when an ECG was relayed through telephone lines.
When NASA first employed teleconsultation services after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and in 1988, during the Soviet Armenia earthquake, when the estimated deaths were more than 50,000, Telemedicine discovered its function in disaster management. With the interruption of all other lines of communication, satellite technology employed in telemedicine consultation has proven to be crucial in shattering technical limits and leaving a mark on history.
Telemedicine in Today’s World
Modern Telemedicine gathers clinical data using current computer devices owned by the patient or physician, as well as affordable, self-owned equipment such as smartphone cameras, wearable biosensors, and so on, making teleconsultation easier to use without specific training. Recent telemedical consultation methods decrease travel expenses, save time, cut medical costs, and provide the average man with easier access to specialised doctors without interfering with their everyday tasks. It also makes healthcare practitioners’ lives easier by reducing the number of missed appointments and cancellations, boosting revenue and patient load, and enhancing follow-up and health outcomes.
As we enter the twenty-first century, several national/international organisations, such as the American teleconsultation Association in Washington, DC, have been established – all of which are entirely committed to the provision of telemedicine services.
India’s Telemedicine
India is a huge country with a population of around 121 crores of people. As a result, equal distribution of healthcare resources has repeatedly been shown to be a significant priority in public health management. Adding to this is the recent tendency to concentrate healthcare resources in cities and towns (including 75 percent of the doctor population), away from rural India, which is home to 68.84 per cent of the national population.
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) made a small start in teleconsultation in India in 2001 with a telemedical consultation Pilot Project that linked Chennai’s Apollo Hospital with the Apollo Rural Hospital in Aragonda village in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district.
India’s Current Situation
Telemedicine services in the nation are governed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology. The teleconsultation Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has established a national telemedicine consultation Portal to carry out a greenfield project on e-health by establishing a National Medical College Network (NMCN) for interconnecting Medical Colleges across the country for the purpose of e-Education and a National Rural Telemedicine Network for e-Healthcare delivery.
The National Digital Health Authority of India (NDHAI)/National e-health authority (NeHA) is being established as a constituent of the e-health wing of the National Health Portal (NHP) with the vision to achieve high quality of care for all Indians through the expense and secure use of ICTs in wellness and health-related fields.
Telemedical Consultation
Medical information is requested from a distance during a telemedical consultation. There are two methods that may be used: asynchronous (‘store and forward’) and synchronous (‘realtime’). Asynchronous consultations offer the benefit of not requiring both participants to be accessible at the same time; email, for example, was used effectively for teledermatology. Telemedicine consultation means such as the phone, radio, or videoconferencing are used for synchronous consultations. Four aspects must be considered for successful videoconferencing: the setting, session beginning, discussion, and session closure. The atmosphere is critical for high-quality consultations, and it includes planning, equipment, and training. Recognising the benefits and limits of the different media, together with proper preparation and training, will optimise the use of telemedicine consultation.
Conclusion
Telemedicine consultation cannot solve every problem, but it can be highly helpful in tackling a wide range of issues. Tele-health, tele-education, and tele-home healthcare are proven to be game-changers in the healthcare industry. When all terrestrial lines of communication are disrupted, the relevance of satellite technology is highlighted in the realm of disaster management. International telemedicine consultations are bringing the globe closer together, and geography is no longer an impediment to receiving effective healthcare. Despite it having so much potential, teleconsultation has yet to achieve the ‘boom’ that it was supposed to bring. The public’s and professionals’ lack of understanding and integration of new technology is holding it back.
