Enumerate the benefits of telemedicine.

Telemedicine
refers to the use of communication and information technologies
for the delivery of clinical care at a distance. It may be as simple as two health
professionals discussing a case over the telephone, or as complex as using satellite
technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation
between medical specialists in two different countries." The Directorate of
Information Technology (DIT) has resorted to taking initiative for defining the
Standards for Telemedicine Systems in India, through the deliberations of the
committee on 'Standardization of digital information' to facilitate implementation
of the program under the chairmanship of the Secretary, DIT. Simultaneously, DIT
undertook another initiative, in a project mode, for defining the framework of
'Information Technology Infrastructure for Health (ITIH)' to efficiently address
information needs of different stakeholders in the healthcare sector. The department
has issued specific guidelines for practicing telemedicine in India.