What are the difference between Telemedicine and Telehealth

What is Telemedicine?

The World Health Organization (WHO) designates Telemedicine as “healing from a distance. “ Telemedicine involves using electronic communications and software to provide clinical services to patients without an in-person visit. Practitioners use Telemedicine to transmit digital imaging, video consultations, remote medical diagnosis, medication management, follow-up, management of chronic conditions, visits, specialist consultation, and other medical services that can be provided remotely via secure video and audio connections.

Today, in-person check-ins with physicians are no longer necessary. Patients located in remote locations with limited access to care can benefit from modern healthcare through secure online consultation.

What is Telehealth?

HealthIT.gov designates Telehealth as “the utilization of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health education, public health and health administration.”

There is a distinction between Telemedicine and Telehealth. Contrary to Telemedicine, Telehealth refers to a broader scope of healthcare.

While Telemedicine relates to remote clinical services delivered by a physician, Telehealth can refer to remote non-clinical services, including administrative meetings, provider training, and continuing medical education, in addition to clinical services. 

The World Health Organization refers to Telehealth as “Surveillance, health promotion, and public health functions.” Telehealth is not a specific service but a collection of methods to improve patient care and education delivery.

In general, one can think of Telehealth as all-encompassing, as telemedicine and telecare fall under its umbrella.