Telemedicine is the exchange of medical information from one location to another, using electronic communication pathways, for the health and education of the patient or health care provider, and with the goal of improving patient care” – American Telemedicine Association

Information and Communication Technologies applied to healthcare have positively impacted the healthcare sector worldwide in the last decades. With the ICT revolution at the end of the 1990s, interest in Telemedicine resurfaced an innovation that will likely play an important role in the evolution and transformation of the healthcare system in the coming years. A key and disruptive piece, not only from a technological point of view but also from a socio-cultural and economic one, since Telemedicine offers solutions to current challenges such as the increasing demand for healthcare services, the aging of the population, or the need to manage large amounts of information, among others (1).

From care in remote areas to a commitment to connected health care

This evolution of new technologies favors the expansion and application of the concepts of globally and interoperability in healthcare organizations, thus allowing and promoting organizational and working environments that go beyond the application of Telemedicine for healthcare coverage in geographically remote areas.

With this new panorama, Telemedicine opens up the possibility of providing health services in remote areas or lack of specialists, as well as allowing a multidisciplinary approach, strengthening the role of the physician in primary care, among others.

The growing evolution and innovation in New Health Technologies are allowing more Telemedicine projects to be developed. The increase in broadband speed facilitates the development of projects ranging from remote inter-consultation to remote patient monitoring. In the same way, the inclusion of wireless broadband allows these initiatives to reach distant areas.

Thanks to the interoperability of systems and telecommunications, Telemedicine facilitates the entire care process, from administrative management, diagnosis, treatment, or health education. In this sense, some cases of application of Telemedicine can be:

Remote patient care.

Remote medical assistance thanks to the connection with specialists in another location is one of its most widespread uses.

Tele-consultation – This makes it possible to monitor, diagnose or treat patients remotely. For this, the exchange of clinical information is essential. Examples are the transmission of radiology or similar images (teleradiology), laboratory or electronic medical records (telepathology), as well as its application in specialties such as dermatology, psychiatry, or cardiology, among others.

Tele-monitoring – Facilitates the monitoring of patients – often chronically ill – by incorporating biological, physiological and biometric parameters. Telemonitoring plays a fundamental role in the empowerment of patients with respect to their health. It enables them to take an active role in their care while reducing their hospital stay.
Telesurgery – Undoubtedly one of the major revolutions in telemedicine that will continue to evolve in the coming years. The use of robotics and virtual reality has boosted the growing number of experimental telesurgeries.

In this sense, it is not only an advantage for healthcare professionals. Telemedicine is working in recent years as an empowerment tool for patients when facing their disease thanks to the possibility of asking for a second opinion or diagnosis.

Benefits of Telemedicine

Telemedicine has many benefits and its future is increasingly promising for healthcare systems and their sustainability. However, some key benefits can be highlighted as follows:

– Equity in access to health services.
– Allows collaborative work between teams of clinical professionals.
– Promotes continuity of care
– Improved efficiency of health services.

Telemedicine has emerged as a solution to the socio-economic challenges faced by health systems globally. Its role in the optimization of healthcare resources, better management of demand, reduction of hospital stays, and reduction in the number of trips, increases the importance of this technology for improving the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare systems