Telemedicine: issues and implications.

Physicians, hospitals and medical schools have been exploring the uses of telemedicine since 1964, primarily in the area of medical education. While the explosion of interest in telemedicine over the past five or six years has seen an increase in the use of telecommunications technology. At present, telemedicine is utilised by health providers in a growing number of medical specialties including but not limited to: dermatology, oncology, radiology, surgery, cardiology, psychiatry and home health care. The emergence of telemedicine has altered the structure of this industry, the management of the health providers and is likely to have an impact on the patients and society at large.