Respiratory Telemedicine

In the modem age of ever-expanding wireless technologies and rapid telecommunications, a great opportunity has emerged for the field of medicine and biomedical research. Telemedicine refers to the use of communications networks to deliver healthcare services and education across geographic regions. Two of the most well-studied areas in respiratory medicine are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although numerous studies have been conducted, there are no firm conclusions or consensus regarding the benefits of using telemedicine to safely and effectively care for patients with respiratory disease. However, many well-conducted studies have shown promise for certain patient cohorts and geographic regions, which we review in this chapter. Although we do not focus on detailed descriptions of engineered devices or web-based technologies, we briefly summarize approaches to remote data acquisition and monitoring as they relate to important clinical measures. We briefly discuss policy and privacy implications of wireless communications as it relates to personal health information and needed safeguards.