Flexible usage of space for telemedicine

Time and space have always been constrains in providing health care. Telemedicine is changing the face of health care by increasing access to health care for patients in remote and underserved areas, which in turn enables them to manage their health better. This translates to cost savings for providers. However, clinics and hospitals often find it challenging to introduce telemedicine into their organizations for many reasons, one of which is the perception that large infrastructure investments must be made at the onset. This paper presents a brief history of telemedicine, followed by several examples telemedicine health care deliver approaches used in a major U.S. health provider, and several approaches for making flexible use of clinic space to support both distance and in-person patients. We provide these examples to help health care organizations find ways to enter into telemedicine in small ways before making large scale investments. Flexible systems revolutionized the manufacturing industry; we feel that similar approaches can revolutionize telemedicine.