Telemedicine and telementoring in the surgical specialties: A narrative review

Abstract

Background: The field of telemedicine has grown tremendously over the last decade. We present a systematic review of publications on telemedicine as it pertains to surgery, addressing six facets: 1) telerobotics, 2) telementoring, 3) teleconsulting, 4) telemedicine in post-operative follow-up, 5) tele-education, and 6) current technology. Data sources: A search of relevant literature querying PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct was performed using the following keywords: telecommunication, telemedicine, telehealth, virtual health, virtual medicine, general surgery, surgery, surgical or surgical patients. Conclusions: Telemedicine is being used to care for patients in remote areas, to help expert surgeons assist other specialists in the office or novice surgeons in the operating room, as well as to help teach the next generation of surgeons. There are many opportunities for surgeons to utilize this technology to optimize their practice.