In one example of telemedicine, a rural patient can be examined by a distant consultant using a video or television connection. This allows the patient to stay in the rural community and saves the patient the cost and time required to drive long distances for specialty care, but the technology is quite expensive to purchase and use. Another type of telemedicine allows the physician to send x-ray images over telephone lines to a radiologist or other specialist hundreds of miles away. This can be a very useful way to improve rural health care, and is relatively inexpensive. Telemedicine can be a very effective way for a physician to supervise a physician assistant or nurse practitioner in those rural communities where no physician is available.
Health care is paid for by private funds and by private and public insurance programs.