The emergence of telemedicine has been brought about by the increasing number of technological advancements in the medical field. For example, telemedicine allows medical information to be exchanged across great distances through electronic communication. Even if the technology is already at least 40 years old, telemedicine continues to be a fast-growing field likely to be utilized on a much wider scale in coming decades.
There are a number of reasons why using telemedicine could be of advantage to patients. Foremost is its ability to connect patients with specialized services and relevant information that might otherwise by unavailable. The chance of miscommunication due to mediated communication is also mitigated, as the patient can talk directly to the specialist. During a telemedicine consultation, the specialist can also benefit from being able to assess a client personally, making diagnosis and treatment more accurate and effective.