Background Information and Statistics

Background:
In Canada, telemedicine and telehealth experiments date from the mid to late 1950s, and telehealth has been operational in at least one province, Newfoundland, since the 1970s. Canadian telehealth programs are producing increasing numbers of peer-reviewed articles,
evaluation reports and other documents.(Noorani & Picot, 2001).

• Patients, families, nurses and health care providers are faced with accessing and negotiating health care services with limited resources in countries where vast geographical landmasses exist (Sevean et al, 2008).


• Telehealth and telemedicine have been used to provide quality health care for tens of thousands of patients worldwide over the last decade.


• Currently used in rural areas, school districts, home health settings, nursing homes, Native American communities, NASA space missions, cruise ships, prisons and the military (Brown, 2005).


• Critical nursing shortage exists (Winters & Winters, 2007). Use of telehealth technologies may be a useful strategy to extend the availability of nurses without imposing additional burden (Winters & Winters, 2007).


• Health care environment is experiencing an influx of telehealth technologies that allow patient monitoring and management of chronic health problems, predominantly in the home (Winters & Winters, 2007). Examples of remote telehealth remote monitoring devices include pulse oximetry, HR, BP, etc…


• Telehealth technologies provide opportunities to meet the rapidly growing needs of consumers and healthcare providers. Many in need of services do not have access to high-end technologies (Winters & Winters, 2007).


• Lowest level of technology needed to carry out a task should be used.


• Telehealth technologies are altering conventional methods of providing patient care (Sevean al, 2008)


• Telehealth technologies have been heralded as the answer to providing care to those populations due to geographical limitations that do not have access to specialized care
  
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