Telemedicine : Emerging Technologies, Applications & Impact on Health Care Outcomes

While the history of telemedicine dates back to the invention of the telephone about a hundred and fifty years ago where medical consultations were provided by physicians over the telephone, breakthrough technological advancements over the past couple of decades brought medical care to nearly all corners of the world. Considering the impact on the medical care sector, telemedicine has become a growing interdisciplinary field, which will undoubtedly be able to improve access to affordable health care and bypass space and time barriers. However, successful deployment of this vision is not only determined by innovative telemedicine applications but also on continuous technology support. Moreover, in practice, new social, economic, and political challenges are continuously emerging, which require serious attention. This book, organised into ten chapters, reviews the emerging technologies, applications, and current trends in telemedicine. Moreover, it introduces new research findings, case studies, and continental experiences in this exciting field. The book is primarily intended for readers ranging from health management professionals, medical doctors, nurses, biomedical engineers, to scientists in areas of research and development, as well as university professors. Moreover, the book potentially serves as a reference for graduate students working on relevant telemedicine topics.