Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a new, modern form of medical services and is classified as eHealth. Due to the E-Health Act of 2015 and the relaxation of the ban on remote treatment in 2018, telemedicine can now also be legally used by doctors. The focus is on a flexible system that easily overcomes temporal and spatial distances. To ensure this, both user parties – doctors and patients – must be connected by means of information and communication technologies. This solution enables the collection and transmission of confidential, personal and health-specific data relating to diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation. Other areas of telemedicine are digital doctor’s letters, electronic patient records and health cards. Long-term monitoring of patients and its data transmission is also included.
Advocates of telemedicine as a patient care method cite short waiting times and quick appointments as well as the uncomplicated execution of consultations from home as the main advantages. It is also intended to counteract the problem of fewer and fewer available doctors – especially in rural areas.
Nevertheless, telemedicine also experiences criticism. This primarily relates to the loss of direct patient contact as well as restrictions in various examinations such as blood sampling or injections.
Medical apps and telemedicine are now present in many specialties. Patients in the fields of surgery, dermatology, neurology and oncology can access the procedure. The system also offers various areas of application in the fields of radiology and psychiatry.
