telemedicine

[tel-uh-med-uh-sin, -med-sin]

noun

1. the part of the telehealth system that uses internet and telecommunications technology, as video calls, to provide clinical services, as medical consultation, evaluation, and diagnosis, either in real time when the patient and the medical professional are in different locations or facilitated by remote monitoring and record sharing among healthcare providers.

   Rural patients may find that the only way for them to see a specialist is via telemedicine.

2. (loosely) telehealth.

telemedicine

/ ˈtɛlɪˌmɛdɪsɪn, -ˌmɛdsɪn /

noun

1. the treatment of disease or injury by consultation with a specialist in a distant place, esp by means of a computer or satellite link

Word History and Origins

Origin of telemedicine¹

First recorded in 1965–70; tele- ¹ + medicine

Example Sentences

A growing proportion of abortions in the U.S. are provided using telemedicine—including for women in states that have banned nearly all abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.

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The company never made a profit, burning cash across its DNA testing, drug development and telemedicine businesses.

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Then the first set of AGs claimed that telemedicine abortions rendered them unable to enforce their laws, arguing that the FDA had created an interstate conflict.

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Although the states argue that telemedicine prescriptions are the real threat to their abortion bans, they can’t help themselves from making a maximalist ask: Should the FDA revoke its original approval of mifepristone from 2000, and should Comstock ban the mailing of abortion drugs?

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The states argue that the medication’s FDA approval should be revoked or, failing that, that telemedicine prescriptions should be once again banned.

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