A Review of Telemedicine in China

Telemedicine changes conventional medical practice and enables patients to access medical service via telecommunication. Telemedicine thus establishes a new kind of relationship between smaller hospitals and larger ones, and between patients and hospitals generally. Patients and subordinate hospitals may benefit from the resources of large hospitals, via teleconsultation, telediagnosis and telemonitoring. This is particularly beneficial for patients living in rural areas, where the health-care system is less well developed than in cities