This presentation is an introduction to telemedicine and telehealth. It explains common terminology and the different types of technology used. It concludes with findings from the American Medical Association on national physician use and links to additional resources.

1. WHAT EVERY PHYSICIAN
NEEDS TO KNOW:
TELEMEDICINE &
TELEHEALTH

2. TELEMEDICINE
& TELEHEALTH
Telehealth describes a broad range of remote health care
services and is defined differently among policymakers,
government agencies, insurers, consumers, and practitioners.
The definition of telemedicine is more consistent within the
health care industry and describes remote patient services in
a clinical setting.
2

3. TELEMEDICINE
& TELEHEALTH
The Health Resources and Services Administration says, “Telehealth
is different from telemedicine because it refers to a broader scope of
remote healthcare services than telemedicine. While telemedicine refers
specifically to remote clinical services, telehealth can refer to remote non-
clinical services, such as provider training, administrative meetings, and
continuing medical education, in addition to clinical services.”
3

4. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) says, “Telemedicine is
the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via
electronic communications to improve patients’ health status. . . the
term ‘telehealth,’ which is often used to encompass a broader definition
of remote healthcare that does not always involve clinical services.
Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient
portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education
and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and
telehealth.”
TELEMEDICINE
& TELEHEALTH
4

5. OTHER DEFINITIONS
FROM THE ATA
5
Remote monitoring: where patients use mobile medical
devices to perform a routine test and send results to a health
care professional in real-time. Remote monitoring includes
devices such as glucose meters for patients with diabetes
and heart or blood pressure monitors for patients receiving
cardiac care.

6. TYPES OF TELEHEALTH
TECHNOLOGY
Real time or “synchronous”
• Virtual visit: video visit between physician/provider and
patient
• Virtual consult: video consult between two providers (or
more)
6

7. TYPES OF TELEHEALTH
TECHNOLOGY
Store-and-forward or “asynchronous”
• eVisit: online exchange of medical information between
provider and patient
• eConsult: consult between providers
7

8. The American Medical Association (AMA) published a benchmark
telemedicine study in December 2018 that provides the first national
estimate on how many physicians use telemedicine. The study used
data collected from 3,500 physicians who participated in the AMA’s 2016
Physician Practice Benchmark Survey.
AMA TELEMEDICINE
STUDY
8

9. AMA TELEMEDICINE
STUDY
9
Overall use:
• 15% of physician respondents work in practices using
telemedicine with patients.
• 11% use telemedicine for interacting with other health
care professionals.

10. AMA TELEMEDICINE
STUDY
Use by specialty:
• 39.5% radiologists
• 27.8% psychiatrists
• 24% cardiologists
• Other specialties ranged from 6 to 23%
10

11. AMA TELEMEDICINE
STUDY
Use by specialty with other health care professionals:
• 38.8% emergency medicine
• 30.4% pathologists
• 25.5% radiologists
• Other specialties ranged from 3 to 14.9%
11

12. Modalities:
• 12.6% of physicians use videoconferencing ­— Commonly used by
emergency medicine, psychiatrists, and pathologists.
• 9.4% of physicians use store-and-forward — Commonly used by
radiologists, pathologists, and cardiologists.
• 7.3% of physicians use remote patient monitoring — Commonly used
by cardiologists, nephrologists, and neurologists.
AMA TELEMEDICINE
STUDY
12

13. TELEMEDICINE
RESOURCES
13
• American Telemedicine Association:
https://www.americantelemed.org/
• National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers:
www.telehealthresourcecenter.org
• AMA Steps Forward, “Adopting Telemedicine in Practice”:
https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/
module/2702689

14. PROTECTION FOR A
NEW ERA OF MEDICINE
ABOUT TMLT:
With more than 36,000 health care professionals in its care, Texas Medical
Liability Trust (TMLT) provides malpractice insurance and related products
to physicians. Our purpose is to make a positive impact on the quality of
health care for patients by educating, protecting, and defending physicians.
www.tmlt.org
Find us on: