Telemedicine: A survey of telecommunication technologies, developments, and challenges

Abstract

The concept of telemedicine encompasses the use of information and telecommunication technology to render medical services irrespective of geographical separation between physicians and patients [1]. Telemedicine has been in practice as far back as the 1900s. It covers any form of electronic communication between health workers and patients from a remote location [1,2]. Recently, researchers have focused more on wireless communication technologies for telemedicine to provide effective and reliable health care service delivery from remote location especially during emergencies. Various communication technologies have been proposed and implemented for providing expert medical services to patients without the need for the conventional face-to-face encounters with patients. This has greatly reduced the cost of medical diagnosis and the need to travel long distances in search of professional consultations. Available studies on telemedicine implementations suggest the need for continuous research to address several issues and challenges [3,4]. There is a need to compare relevant studies in the field in order to provide a broad overview of available communication technologies suitable for modern designs as well as to identify the most viable means of practical implementation. This is not to say that telemedicine should completely replace the conventional practice of physical diagnostic and other medical processes, as certain services require physical face-to-face contact. Nonetheless, the deployment of telemedicine could greatly reduce congestion in hospitals, and consequently limit the spread of infectious diseases.