The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) define the distant site as the telehealth site where the provider/specialist is seeing the patient at a distance or consulting with a patient’s provider. Others common names for this term include – the hub, specialty site, provider/physician site and referral site.

A digital camera is typically used to take still images of a patient. General uses for this type of camera include dermatology and wound care. This camera produces images that can be downloaded to a personal computer (PC) and sent to a provider/consultant over a network.

A camera that can display written or typed information (e.g., lab results), photographs, graphics (e.g., EKG strips) and in some cases X-Rays.

CMS defines originating site as the site where the patient and/or the patient’s physician is located during the telehealth encounter or consult. Other common names for this term include – spoke site, patient site, remote site, and rural site.

This is the camera typically used to examine the general condition of the patient. Types of cameras include those that may be embedded with set-top videoconferencing units, handheld video cameras, gooseneck cameras, camcorders, etc. The camera may be analog or digital depending upon the connection to the videoconferencing unit.

Telehealth encounters require the distant provider to perform an examination of a patient or client from many miles away. In order to assist the provider, an individual at the patient (originating) site is often needed to coordinate tasks, such as use of the equipment or obtaining vital signs. Many providers also prefer that a staff with a clinical [..]

S&F is a type of telehealth encounter or consult that uses still digital images of a patient for the purpose of rendering a medical opinion or diagnosis. Common types of S&F services include radiology, pathology, dermatology, and wound care. Store and forward also includes the asynchronous transmission of clinical data, such as blood glucos [..]

The Universal Service Administrative Company administers the Universal Service Fund (USF), which provides communities across the country with affordable telecommunication services. The Rural Health Care Division (RHCD) of USAC manages the telecommunications discount program for health care.

Information, electronic or otherwise, that is created and transmitted as a continuous stream, as opposed to small digital packets. Most home telehealth devices require the use of analog lines.

This term is sometimes used to describe store and forward transmission of medical images or information because the transmission typically occurs in one direction in time. This is the opposite of synchronous (see below).