The future role of telemedicine at the interface between primary and secondary care.

Telemedicine has been in existence for 25 years. Owing to the primitive state of technological development and poor telecommunications, early projects could not be sustained. Recent improvements in technology and communications, together with a convergence of political and economic trends, has led to a massive surge in development. In the UK one promising application is to link GPs with hospital specialists. This offers the potential for improved quality of communication, more effective use of expensive resources, and more convenient delivery of medical services to the patient.