Frequently Asked Questions about Telemedicine
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the use of technology to electronically exchange medical information and provide medical services to patients by board-certified emergency physicians.
How is telemedicine different from telehealth?
Telehealth often encompasses a broader definition of remote health care that doesn’t always involve clinical services such as providing you with patient education and access to your personal medical information through patient portals.
How does telemedicine work?
You will always have an emergency room provider with you during the telemedicine consult. Telemedicine can involve many different methods for providing care remotely. Some examples of emergency telemedicine at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital include:
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Videoconferencing between patients and health care providers
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Transmitting still images electronically for interpretation by a physician at a remote location.
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Remote monitoring of vital signs
Is telehealth confidential?
Similar to any interaction with your medical professional, a telehealth physician has the same duty to safeguard your medical records and keep your treatments confidential under The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. All patient data, including electronic files, images, audio/video tapes, etc. are handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Will I still need to see a specialist in person?
Possibly, but the goal of emergency telemedicine is to allow you to receive care close to home, rather than care that requires unnecessary travel.