|
Telemedicine
is the use of telecommunications to transfer medical information for
diagnostic and educational purposes. Telemedicine can be used to bridge
the distance barrier in delivering healthcare to rural populations.
Specific rural telemedicine applications include monitoring chronic health conditions, providing support to rural
primary care clinicians, providing access to a physician specialist, and
allowing healthcare professionals to participate in continuing medical
education. By using the rural health online toolkit, the rural health
administrator has the necessary information to learn about telemedicine
and make an informed decision about the viability of telemedicine as a healthcare delivery option.
General
Telemedicine Resources
- “Telemedicine:
A Guide to Assessing Telecommunications for Healthcare”
This reference
is a comprehensive guide on all aspects of telemedicine including
technology, planning, and evaluation. Written by the National Library
of Medicine and the Division of Health Care Service, Institute of
Medicine.
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309055318/html/index.html
http://books.nap.edu/books/0309055318/html/239.
html#pagetop
[Glossary of telemedicine terms]
Legislation
and Reports – Federal and State of Texas
Federal
- 1997
Telemedicine Report to Congress
This 1997 report to Congress by Secretary of Commerce
Michael Cantor was required
by theTelecommunications Reform Act of 1996. This report includes findings
from federally funded telemedicine projects and the technical, legal, and
political issues surrounding telemedicine
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/index.htm
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/letsec.htm
[Message from Commerce Secretary Kantor]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/execsum.htm
[Executive Summary]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/intro.htm
[Introduction]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/evaluate.htm
[Evaluation]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/legal.htm
[Legal Issues]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/payment.htm
[Payment Issues]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/safety.htm
[Safety and standards]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/telecom.htm
[Infrastructure]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/privacy.htm
[Privacy, security, and confidentiality]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/telemed/conclude.htm
[Conclusion]
- Exploratory
Evaluation of Rural Applications of Telemedicine, 1997
This report, published by the Office of Rural Health
Policy (ORHP), is a nationwide assessment on the status of telemedicine in
rural areas and the effects of telemedicine on rural healthcare.
http://www.hrsa.dhhs.gov/Newsroom/publications.htm
- Legislative,
Legal, and Policy Issues in Telemedicine , 1999-2000.
This site of the Telemedicine Research Center includes
full-text federal telemedicine legislation in
1999-2000.
http://tie.telemed.org/legal/federal/#major
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.2505:
[S.2505 - Telehealth Improvement and
Modernization Act
of 2000]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.770:
[S.770 - Comprehensive Telehealth Act of
1999]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:H.R.3146:
[H.R. 3146 - Healthcare Restoration Act
of 1999]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.980:
[S. 980 - Promoting Healthcare in Rural Areas Act of
1999]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:H.R.1746:
[H.R. 1746 - School and Libraries Internet Access Act
of 1999]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:H.R.1344:
[H.R. 1344 - Triple-A Rural Health Improvement Act of
1999]
http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/bbra/title4.htm
:
[H.R.3426 – The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP
Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 – Title IV – Rural Provider
Provisions]
State of Texas
Agencies
and Grants: Federal and State
of Texas
Federal
- Federal
Telemedicine Gateway
The Joint
Working Group on Telemedicine (JWGT) is a consortium of federal agencies involved in telemedicine. Site
includes links to all agency members of the JWGT as well as links to
telemedicine projects by state and by funding source.
http://www.tmgateway.org/
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/jwgt/teldirect98/index.html
[Federal
Telemedicine Directory]
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/jwgt/teldirect98/states.html
[State projects]
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/jwgt/teldirect98/source.html
[Projects by funding source]
- Office
for the Advancement of Telehealth
The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth is a
division of the Health
Resources Services Administration,Department of Health and Human Services.
Site includes a grant application kit (in PDF format) and links to other
federal and state agencies involved in telemedicine.
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/links.htm
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/funds.htm
[Funding
guide]
http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/grants/applic.htm
[Rural
Telemedicine Grant Program]
- Rural
Utilities Services (RUS)
The Rural Utilities Services is a division of the
Department of Agriculture. This site includes the application guide for
grants under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant
Program. Site also includes links to state projects currently funded by
RUS.
http://www.usda.gov/rus/telephone/telephon.htm
http://www.usda.gov/rus/home/succ_tel.htm
[State
projects funded by Rural Utilities Services]
http://www.usda.gov/rus/home/succ_tel.htm
[2000
grant application guide]
- USAC
Rural Health Care Program
The Universal Service Administration Rural Health Care Program ensures
that rural health care providers obtain telecommunications services at
rates comparable to their urban counterparts. Site includes an overview of
the RHC program along with grant information for 2000/2001.
http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/2000/programoverview/
http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/2000/forms/forms.asp
[Forms and instructions for the 2000/2001
grant period]
- National
Library of Medicine (NLM) Telemedicine Initiative
This site outlines telemedicine projects funded by the NLM National Telemedicine Initiative. Site contains links to other
federal telemedicine initiatives.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/telemedinit.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/funding.html
[Funding sources]
- Technology
Opportunities Program(formerly Telecommunications Information and
Infrastructure Assistance Program)
The Technology Opportunities Program, formerly the
Telecommunications Information and Infrastructure Assistance Program,
promotes the use of advanced telecommunications technologies in public and
non-profit organizations. Site includes links to government and funding
resources.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/index.html
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/grants/applicationkit.htm
[Grant application kit for 2000 grant
process]
- Universal
Service Fund (USF) for Rural Health Care
The Universal Service Fund was established by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to encourage the growth of
telehealth. Site includes a description of the USF as well as links to
other FCC divisions.
http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/apd/ruralhealth/
State of Texas
- Telecommunicatons
Infrastructure Fund Board (TIF)
TIF was created by Texas H.B.2128. Its goals are to
modernize the telecommunications infrastructure for non-profit healthcare
centers. Site includes TIF’s master plan and grant and loan information.
http://www.tifb.state.tx.us/
http://www.tifb.state.tx.us/grantloan/health_info.html
[2000 funding information for non-for-profit health
grants including telemedicine]
Telemedicine Organizations
- Telemedicine
Information Exchange (TIE)
The
Telemedicine Information Exchange is a comprehensive source of
telemedicine information supported by the Telemedicine Research Center and
the National Library of Medicine.
http://tie.telemed.org/
http://tie.telemed.org/funding/#search
- American
Telemedicine Association (ATA)
ATA is one of the leading organizations promoting
telemedicine. Site includes links to special interest groups, membership
information and current news items affecting telemedicine.
http://www.atmeda.org/
http://www.atmeda.org/news/newres.htm
- The Association of Telehealth Service
Providers (ATSP)
The ATSP is an international organization dedicated to
improving healthcare through telemedicine. Site includes links to
legislation and
court
cases involving telemedicine...
- Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Underserved Areas
(CERSA)
CERSA is a testing, evaluation, demonstration and assessment center for telemedicine prototypes to identify “best practices” for providing medical care to underserved areas.
http://www.cermusa.org/news/
Texas
Telemedicine Centers
- University of Texas Medical
Branch (UTMB) Center for Telehealth and Distance Learning
This site provides general information on UTMB’s telemedicine
program. Site contains a list of UTMB telemedicine projects in addition to
the mission, vision, and goals of the telemedicine program.
http://www2.utmb.edu/telehealth/strategic_planning.htm
- University
of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UNTHSCSA) Center for Distance
Learning and Telemedicine
This site describes the telemedicine programs of UNTHSCSA and its
Internet collaborative projects with regional healthcare facilities.
http://dlserve.uthscsa.edu/
- Texas
Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Center for Telemedicine/Telhealth
Site includes descriptions of Texas Tech’s telemedicine programs as
well as a map of links to telemedicine sites served by TTUHSC.
http://www.ttuhsc.edu/telemedicine/rualmap.htm
|