Telemedicine and emerging telecommunications

Improvements in technology and its affiliated components have increased the practical applications of telemedicine in emergency medicine and EMS. Deployment of telehealth services, such as telecardiology, telestroke, telemonitoring, and telementoring have improved and continue to improve access to and care of patients and prehospital clinicians with diverse needs. In this chapter, there is a description of telemedicine and its uses, such as in teleconsultation, telecardiology, telestroke, and telemonitoring. There is also a description of applications for education, assistance with clinical and transport decision making, mass casualty incidents, and disaster and remote deployment. Finally, there are suggestions for future investigation and implementation of telemedicine technology for emergency medical professionals.