Abstract
The chapter explains the challenges facing health care systems; the overview of telemedicine; the technological devices of telemedicine systems; telemedicine and chronic diseases; telemedicine and technology acceptance model (TAM); the applications of telemedicine in the oil and gas industry; and the importance of telemedicine in global health care. Telemedicine brings the health care value through its ability for the remote visits with patients, immediate access to health care professionals, real-time access to health data, and health monitoring capabilities. Telemedicine is an effective health care measure that can manage the new and affordable technology with the potential to deliver the convenient and effective care to patients, and provides an alternative way for the health care organizations to deliver the essential health outcomes. The chapter argues that applying telemedicine has the potential to increase health care performance and gain sustainable competitive advantage in global health care.
TopBackground
Over the past two decades, the application of telemedicine as a way to provide medical services has grown as the patients seek more convenient ways to receive health care (Yang et al., 2015). There are rapid development in the field of medical imaging and telemedicine (Juliet, Rajsingh, & Ezra, 2015). The use of health information technology (health IT), such as telemedicine, is considered as a major contributing factor to health care service delivery (Karon, 2016) and has the potential to improve patient quality of care, reduce costs, and promote medical practices in modern health care (Pendergrass, Heart, Ranganathan, & Venkatakrishnan, 2014). Telemedicine has been used to address a wide range of health concerns in a wide variety of health care settings (Mackert & Whitten, 2007) and has proven useful in the delivery of health care in remote areas (Klotz, Muir, Cameron, & Delaney, 2005).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Information: The data that is specific and organized for a purpose.
Information Technology: The set of tools, processes, and associated equipment employed to collect, process, and present the information.
Telemedicine: The provision of diagnosis and health care from a distance using media, such as interactive computer programs and information technology.
Health Care: The act of taking necessary medical procedures to improve a person's well-being.
Patient: A person who is receiving medical care.
Physician: A medical doctor, especially one who has general health care skill.
Telecommunication: The science and technology associated with communications at a distance.