telehealth

noun

tele·​health ˌte-lə-ˈhelth 

 also  -ˈheltth

: health care provided remotely to a patient in a separate location using two-way voice and visual communication (as by computer or cell phone) : telemedicine

Instead of forcing sick people to get off their couches, telehealth lets people stay in their homes while getting sound medical advice from professionals.

—Sarah Harrison

—often used before another noun

a telehealth appointment

telehealth systems

Some also will expand their use of telehealth services, which connect rural patients to specialized providers so they don't have to drive for treatment.

—Meg Wingerter

Examples of telehealth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each campus received $200,000 in one-time funding to pay for the medication and cover costs such as facility upgrades, equipment, training, telehealth services, and security upgrades. —Jackie Fortier, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024

According to a 2022 study, the TRT telehealth websites create a way to circumvent doctors who refuse to prescribe the hormone. —Michael Scaturro, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2024

Teladoc isn’t the only telehealth company starting to feel a drop in users as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes further into the rearview mirror. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2024

Some telehealth providers have already floated a backup plan: offering misoprostol-only medication abortions. —Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2024

Under current Food and Drug Administration guidelines, mifepristone is safe for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and can be sent to patients following a telehealth appointment. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024

More than two dozen medical practices prescribe rapamycin as an anti-aging treatment, according to a Washington Post review, and telehealth companies are bringing it to thousands of patients nationally. —Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024

The services were made possible after WW's acquisition of a telehealth company called Sequence last spring. —Vanessa Romo, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024

Implementing telehealth in rural areas is essential for overcoming healthcare access disparities, enabling more comprehensive and convenient patient assessments, and improving the overall quality of care. —Drs. Aditi U. Joshi and Brandon M. Welch, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

tele- + health

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

telehealth

noun

tele·​health ˌtel-ə-ˈhelth 

: health care provided remotely to a patient in a separate location using two-way voice and visual communication (as by computer or cell phone) : telemedicine

Telehealth extends access, and it has the potential of making healthcare services more convenient for patients, especially those in rural areas, those with small children … and those with mobility restrictions.

—Clemens Scott Kruse et al., BMJ Open

—often used before another noun

telehealth visits

The states of Virginia, Montana, and Alaska, which all have large populations of veterans, will each receive about $300 000 to create or upgrade telehealth services for veterans who must travel long distances to access medical care …

—Bridget M. Kuehn, The Journal of the American Medical Association