TELEMEDICINE: WHERE THE FUTURE LIES
by Song Jeong Gyoun
Category: STEM
Abstract – Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of medical care and provision of overall health services from a distance. Telemedicine has been practiced since the early 20th century with increasing evidence demonstrating its prospective for improved quality of care for patients, increased accessibility to rural areas, decreased hospital readmissions, and reduced cost for both patients and providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a substantial growth in the utilization of telemedicine and telehealth for health care services. Telemedicine’s advancement and expansion should not be substitution, but counterpart to current health care systems. Telemedicine should not have the goal of completely digitalizing the entire health care procedures, but rather fully utilize technology to work at full potential in all areas. As innovation in telehealth is progressing and telemedicine proves to be the next frontier of healthcare, the need of further research for the effectiveness of telemedicine is becoming apparent.
By incorporating journals, news columns, reviews, and case studies on telemedicine, this paper examines the origins of telemedicine in the United States, factors that have influenced society today such its widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights of recent developments.
This project is valuable because it explains how telemedicine can be utilized to bridge global healthcare gaps, particularly in disadvantaged and/or minority populations, and how it will transform the future of medicine, even beyond the epidemic.
By incorporating journals, news columns, reviews, and case studies on telemedicine, this paper examines the origins of telemedicine in the United States, factors that have influenced society today such its widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights of recent developments.
This project is valuable because it explains how telemedicine can be utilized to bridge global healthcare gaps, particularly in disadvantaged and/or minority populations, and how it will transform the future of medicine, even beyond the epidemic.