Telehealth

Telehealth refers to the delivery of health care, health information, and health education using telecommunications technologies. It encompasses remote clinical services such as diagnosis and treatment, as well as nonclinical activities like provider training and public health monitoring. Telemedicine is a related term often used interchangeably, though telemedicine is sometimes distinguished as the clinical component of telehealth delivered remotely.

Modalities include synchronous videoconferencing, telephone consultations, secure messaging, and asynchronous approaches such as store-and-forward transmissions. Remote patient monitoring, mobile health apps, and digital platforms enable patients to interact with clinicians or access care from home or other remote settings. Telehealth is used across primary care, specialty care, mental health, rehabilitation, dermatology, radiology, and emergency services, and can support home-based or facility-based care.

Historically, telehealth emerged in the mid-20th century with remote monitoring and telemedicine pilots, expanding with advances in the internet, mobile networks, and video technology. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption, prompting policy changes that broadened reimbursement, licensure flexibilities, and cross-border care in many jurisdictions, though rules remain heterogeneous by country and payer.

Benefits often include improved access to care, reduced travel time, enhanced timeliness, and support for chronic disease management. Evidence on cost savings is mixed and depends on context, but patient satisfaction and adherence frequently improve with convenient access.

Challenges include disparities in access to technology and digital literacy, data privacy and security concerns, regulatory and licensure barriers, reimbursement inconsistencies, and the need for integration with electronic health records and clinical workflows. Ongoing development focuses on expanding equitable access, ensuring quality and safety, and leveraging data from remote monitoring and AI-enabled tools.