Telemedicine: a unique, univocal, and shared definition for everyone

Abstract

The text discusses the historical development of telemedicine and underscores its significance in clinical practice. It traces the concept back to 1910, specifically mentioning telecardiology’s early use with a telephone-connected stethoscope. NASA contributed to telemedicine by remotely monitoring astronaut John Glenn’s physiological parameters during his space flight in the 1960s. A notable achievement in 1965 involved performing an aortic valve operation in Houston, Texas, with real-time visual contact maintained via an intercontinental satellite to a university in Geneva, Switzerland. The introduction of telecommunication technologies in medicine gained momentum with widespread access to global teleinformatic networks, leading to advancements like surgical robots.