ReviewSolving the disjuncture between research and practice: Telehealth trends in the 21st century
Section snippets
Telehealth as an intellectual endeavor
There has been considerable growth in intellectual activity related to telehealth. This is reflected in the steady increase in both electronic and print resources, the staying power of various telemedicine societies and Websites, and the growing number of well-attended conferences [4]. It is also reflected in the maturation of the professional literature. Between 1964 and 2003, 5911 telehealth articles could be identified in the MEDLINE database, which indexes more than 4300 biomedical- and
Telehealth as a practical enterprise
Despite a dearth in clinical trials and evaluation studies, telehealth as an intellectual enterprise has nonetheless grown. Growth has also taken place in the use of telehealth as a practical means for delivering health services. This is reflected in a recent survey of U.S. telehealth activity published by the Telemedicine Research Center (TRC) [18]. According to the survey, more than 85,000 non-radiology patient–provider teleconsultations took place in 2003 in 88 responding telehealth networks
Impediments to further acceptance and diffusion
Although financial concerns associated with a lack of reimbursement, long-term funding, telecommunication charges, and other costs are important barriers to long-term sustainability, organizational impediments to telehealth have increased in saliency in recent years [18]. Perhaps the greatest organizational obstacle to long-term integration has been the piecemeal development of the telecommunications infrastructure in health care which promotes the adoption of health information technologies
Conclusion
Without government leadership, further diffusion of telehealth will be difficult to achieve. This leadership should involve expansion of standard setting activities to a broader array of technologies and functions, in addition to increased investment in telehealth and its various applications through start-up-grants, continuing support, and reimbursement for services rendered. It should also involve the identification and promotion of best practices, and adoption of cross-jurisdictional
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