Telemedicine in the '90s.

Background: Telemedicine emerged in the 1950's and declined during the 1970s and 1980s. Its reemergence in the 1990s generally tracks communications technological advances. Though its major applications have traditionally been confined to rural and under-served areas, telemedicine's application grows on a nearly daily basis. Broadly defined, telemedicine describes the transfer of medical data over facsimile or telephone and video conferencing. Though traditionally applied to patient care, it is increasingly being employed in the area of physician education. The Florida Medical Association's computer CME developments are one example.