Telemedicine for clinical management of adults in remote and rural areas

It is evident that the residents of remote and rural areas have inferior health status compared to their counterparts living in metropolitan areas. Mortality and complications of chronic diseases increase with remoteness. Geographical separation, high travel cost and distorted resource allocation limit physical accessibility of people to quality healthcare, especially in remote and rural areas. Telemedicine can address several barriers of access to healthcare by bridging the geographical gap between healthcare providers and consumers, decreasing the cost of services particularly from a patient’s perspective, and increasing acceptability of service in a number of conditions and situations. Telemedicine services are divided into three main categories based on the synchronicity of the interaction between the provider and the recipient: store‐and‐forward solutions, real‐time solutions and hybrid solutions. The main purpose of telemedicine is the provision of clinical services, including activities for screening, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow‐up and rehabilitation.