3 Telemedicine includes the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients using systems that allow access to patient information. The underlying technologies that make telemedicine possible have been around for years. Companies have only recently begun to integrate information systems with multimedia technology into application-based packages. This can include image capture, blood pressure and pulse meters, analog-based audio stethoscopes, and digital dermascopes built into the videophone system. Telemedicine technologies are used in every healthcare setting to remotely deliver medical services.
Psychiatrists can use videoconferencing to provide psychiatric services to patients at remote sites.
Pathology specimens can be transmitted via e-mail or more advanced storage technologies that send digital images. The electronic transfer of health information within and across state lines creates new challenges to the protection of health information. The current lack of uniform privacy and confidentiality legislation adds to the confusion as to which state's laws govern when transmitting electronic health information across state lines. Health information privacy issues require national legislation to remedy the confusion stemming from federal and state laws regarding health information confidentiality. However, until such legislation is passed, HIM professionals must ensure that electronically transmitted health information remains confidential and secure.