Telemedicine

Telemedicine describes the provision of medical services – prevention, diagnostics or therapy – by bridging spatial and / or temporal distance between the partners in the health sector with the toolkit of health telematics. It is not a new medical specialty, but a modern way of communicating from home to specialist or with patients.

The Bayerische Telemedallianz is sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry for Health and Nursing and has started to bridge the gap between different perspectives of health telematics.

Definition:
Telemedicine refers to the use of Telecommunications and Informatics technologies, collectively referred to as Telematics, to improve diagnostics, therapy and healthcare provision.

Telemedicine should not replace personal contact with doctors, nurses or pharmacists. Rather, the technology should help to overcome spatial distances, analyze medical data, avoid treatment errors, and provide healthcare workers with the data they need to best treat patients.