Related terms: Telemedicine, telecare; also see e-health
While legal and technical differences may exist between the terms “telehealth” and “telemedicine,” they are largely used interchangeably. The terms are synonymous and used interchangeably by both, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).
In the simplest terms, telehealth is the “practice of medical care disseminated through telecommunication channels” (Wood & Schulman, 2019, p 236). The World Health Organization further defines telehealth as “The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.” (World Health Organization. Telemedicine: opportunities and developments in Member States: report on the second global survey on eHealth 2009, p. 9) Similarly, the American Telemedicine Association defines telehealth as “technology-enabled health and care management and delivery systems that extend capacity and access.” (https://www.americantelemed.org)
Additional Resources:
• Achenbach, S. J. (2020). Telemedicine: Benefits, Challenges, and Its Great Potential. Health Law & Policy, 14(1), 1–25.
• Maheu, M. M., Whitten, P., & Allen, A. (2001). E-Health, Telehealth, and Telemedicine: A Guide to Startup and Success. Jossey-Bass.
• Wood, S., & Schulman, K. (2019). The Doctor-of-the-Future Is In: Patient Responses to Disruptive Health-Care Innovations. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 4(3), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1086/704106
• World Health Organization (https://www.who.int)
• American Telemedicine Association (https://www.americantelemed.org)