A review of telemedicine in Romania.

Romania is an eastern European country that is undergoing rapid reform of its medical system. We conducted an assessment of the potential for telemedicine in the country, through a literature review, personal visits to Romania and discussions with individuals from academia, the Ministry of Health and Family, and businesses. The results suggest that telemedicine has the potential to accelerate health-care reform. The main hospitals and universities could promote the wider distribution and development of telemedicine within Romania, which in turn would bring benefits to the Romanian people, 46% of whom live in rural areas.