https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2022.2132
Potential downside issues with telemedicine for individuals with chronic respiratory diseases
Published: February 4, 2022
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Telemedicine refers to the use of communications technologies to provide or enhance medical care through mitigating the negative effects of patient-caregiver distance on medical evaluation and treatment. The general concept, telemedicine, can refer to a number of interventions, such as telemonitoring, tele-consultations, tele-education, tele-communication, and tele-rehabilitation. While telemedicine has seen steady growth its trajectory has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a tool in health care delivery, telemedicine is often met with patient satisfaction often resulting from ease of use and accessibility. Additionally, outcomes may improve, although the medical literature is not consistent in this regard. However, enthusiasm over its beneficial effects should be tempered by negative aspects, including the decrease in direct patient-clinician interaction (such as loss of information from the physical examination) and potentially serious privacy risks. Finding a happy median between positive and negative features of telemedicine remains a work in progress.
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Ethics Approval
The authors dedicate this paper to the memory of Dr. Claudio F Donner, a friend, colleague and a source of inspiration to respirologists around the worldHow to Cite
Paelet, Lawrence, Jonathan Raskin, and Richard ZuWallack. 2022. “Potential Downside Issues With Telemedicine for Individuals With Chronic Respiratory Diseases”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 92 (4). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2022.2132.
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