Current State and Prospects of Telemedicine Development

Abstract

The article examines the current state and prospects of telemedicine development. Telemedicine allows remote clinical services to be provided through real-time two-way communication between a patient and a healthcare provider using electronic audio and visual means. In primary health care, telemedicine is usually carried out in the form of telephone calls, when a patient goes to a doctor for advice on non-emergency medical problems that do not require a doctor to visit the patient. Telemedicine does not replace face-to-face consultation, when necessary, but complements it. The real role of telemedicine currently lies in the convenience it offers to patients and practitioners, eliminating the need for a direct visit to receive medical advice or treatment. It is also cost-effective compared to the process of waiting for an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare provider. The purpose of the work is to consider the features of the organization of the provision of telemedicine services, as well as the directions of its application in medical practice.