Telemedicine: experience at a tertiary care hospital

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine and/or teaching of the medical art, without direct (physical) physician-patient or physician-student interaction, via an interactive audio video communication system employing tele-electronic devices. Recent technological advances, however, have expanded the scope of medical interaction that may be achieved. There are now many levels of health care-related interaction that may take place in the telecommunications medium: physician-to-physician consultation, physician-to student (physician, nurse, other care giver) teaching, physician-to-patient examination and consultation, and physician-to-patient treatment. This article deals with the telemedicine practices followed in Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) which is a tertiary level referral academic medical center involved in teaching and training of super specialist medical professionals.