In what circumstances is telemedicine appropriate in the developing world?
Oct 1, 2010
Telemedicine is the practice of medicine at a distance. It generally relies on some kind of telecommunication technology, such as the Internet or a satellite link. The primary advantage of telemedicine is improved access to healthcare, and since the developing world is characterized by continuing difficulties with access to healthcare, it might be presumed that telemedicine would be of value in developing countries (Box 1). However, despite many years of small-scale pilot trials, there has been little adoption of telemedicine for routine healthcare delivery.