Telemedicine by use of the phone, the Internet or other network lines for consultation as well as remote medical exams and procedures is becoming a rapidly popular application in medicine.

Whether you are discussing a case over the phone with another professional or you are using satellite equipment to video conference a real-time conversation between countries, telemedicine equipment and those providing the services of telemedicine business are vital to the market and for the delivery of clinical care.

To find out how best to utilize the technology of telehealth and telemedicine solutions equipment:

1. Take advantage of background information on the subject of telemedicine to familiarize yourself with the topic.

2. Look at the telemedicine equipment available currently on the market.

3. Join a telemedicine association or find out the latest in the telemedicine journal to keep up with the latest news and technology.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out general information about telemedicine solutions

Make sure that you have a comfortable background knowledge of what telemedicine solutions are available and how they work before delving into the national and global telemedicine realm.

I recommend: Find out more about telemedicine's ability to provide interactive healthcare from Telemedicine.com. Telemedicine Information Exchange is another source for the latest on telemedicine information. See what's new at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Check out the National Library of Medicine's National Telemedicine Initiative.

Locate telemedicine companies with ease

Take a look at the numerous telemedicine companies that offer a wide variety of telehealth services.

I recommend: Check out the high definition video communication of LifeSize. Try the Vital Sign telemonitoring solutions for CHF, obesity, COPD, asthma, hypertension and diabetes patients. Look at the enormous inventory of products for a wide variety of medical fields from AMD Global Telemedicine. Be amazed by the remote presence and robot capabilities of InTouch Health.

Expand your telemedicine knowledge

Broaden your telemedicine knowledge by reading the latest journals and joining telemedicine affiliations.

I recommend: See what's new in Telemedicine and e-Health. Check out the membership categories from the American Telemedicine Association. Find out about the Arizona Telemedicine Program from the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Find out the latest news from the Association of Telehealth Service Providers.

Find out even more telemedicine news

Keep up with even more telemedicine news and updates through various industry organizations.

I recommend: Find out the latest breaking telehealth news from Center for Telehealth & E-Health Law. Check out the Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When pricing out telemedicine services, determine up front if you need real time (synchronous) and store-and-forward (asynchronous) capabilities. Real time service will be far more costly than asynchronous, but it may be necessary based on the project.