There are four main categories of telehealth that are used in the medical industry. The benefits of the categories depend on the patient’s and doctor’s needs. - Live video-conferencing is probably what you think of first. It is a live video conference between the health care provider and the patient. Live video conferencing can take the stress out of appointments by reducing commutes and other causes of stress, but it also makes healthcare, such as specialists, available to areas that can be difficult to reach. It provides health care options to rural areas that they didn’t previously have. - Asynchronous video delivers a patient’s health history outside of real-time to be used by a healthcare provider. It allows doctors in rural areas greater access to specialists that are not available locally. - Remote patient monitoring allows for the monitoring of a patient’s health data from another location. It works particularly well for seniors who may be living on their own and need to be monitored for falls or medical conditions. - Mobile health is the name given to the use of smart devices, like tablets and cell phones, that have health-based software on them that supports continued healthcare. These can monitor many things from water intake to blood sugar levels. They can be used to encourage a healthier lifestyle.