Telehealth: Passing fad or lasting benefits?

Citation
P. Lehoux et al., Telehealth: Passing fad or lasting benefits?, CAN J PUBL, 91(4), 2000, pp. 277-280
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE
ISSN journal
00084263 → ACNP
Volume
91
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
277 - 280
Database
ISI
SICI code
0008-4263(200007/08)91:4<277:TPFOLB>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
Advocates of telehealth argue that the delivery of health services by means of communications ions technologies is both feasible and desirable. Nevert heless, the benefits of telehealth, due ro the variety of its applications and their uneven development, are not self-evident., The goal of this paper is to reflect on the processes by which telehealth applications do or do n ot contribute to the delivery of health sen ices. We propose a framework st ructuring a preliminary analysis of the match between needs and the possibi lities offered by telehealth. Four mechanisms of expected benefits are disc ussed: 1) decreasing patient transfers; 2) decreasing trips by providers an d patients; 3) meeting the needs of underserved populations; and 4) buildin g providers' and patients' knowledge and reducing rural isolation. We concl ude by stressing that the participation of providers is crucial, both in th e research on telehealth and in the steering of its evolution.