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. 1996 Nov 30;313(7069):1375–1377. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7069.1375

Telemedicine: a cautious welcome.

R Wootton 1
PMCID: PMC2352879  PMID: 8956707

Abstract

Telemedicine is a major new development. Having become technically and economically feasible, it deserves proper investigation. Rushing into equipment purchase, however, is almost certain to prove counterproductive. Face to face contact is fundamental to health care and enthusiasts of telemedicine should recognise that it is not as good as the real thing (and unlikely ever to be). However, constraints on time and resources will make face to face consultation increasingly expensive, and telemedicine has the potential to produce major efficiencies in the diagnostic process. The goal of current research is therefore to marry medicine with technology, capitalising on the advantages of telemedicine and producing a robust system that delivers an acceptable service at an appropriate price.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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