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Due to the rising cost of health care, insurance carriers, the public and various levels of government are eager to find out more about telemedicine and its many benefits. Although telemedicine has been around for quite some time, it is just now beginning to become a keyword for the American public. Telemedicine is a very broad term and generally refers to any communications between a patient and health care provider that is transmitted across distance through telecommunications. One example of telemedicine would be a video conference with a doctor.

Millions of people experience the benefits of telemedicine every year in various capacities, and the number of patients increases every year. For example, about 21% of the 300 million or so Americans live in rural areas where access to health care is not attainable without great effort, and cost. Some patients would need to travel hundreds of miles to be seen by specialists with the same expertise. Telemedicine is a more affordable, convenient alternative in many cases.

Here are some facts and figures about telemedicine, courtesy of a November, 2009 article in Parade magazine:

• In a two-year study at Vermont Children's Hospital, telemedicine improved patient care in 88% of cases.
• According to a 2005 study, a telemedicine link between rural Redding, Calif., and UC-Davis saved almost $500,000 a year by avoiding unnecessary transfers and providing more effective care.
• California is building a statewide network that will connect more than 300 small hospitals and clinics to bigger hospitals and their experts.
• Telemedicine can save patients from harrowing and needless patient transfers. At Eastern Maine Medical Center, telemedicine is used to diagnose burn victims. Doctors can identify patients that can be treated at their location by using video screens in EMMC's trauma center.
• More than a dozen bills are moving through Congress to fund telemedicine pilot programs and rural connectivity initiatives nationwide.