Teleradiology: the use of slow-scan television in hospitals.

Telemedicine has been practiced since the advent of the telephone, and the first video telemedicine applications were initiated in the late 1960s. With the proliferation of video screens being used as diagnostic aids, and as medical professionals seek ways to maximize their professional effectiveness, the technology of Slow-Scan Television has been adopted for routine use by radiology departments of hospitals throughout the United States and Canada. This article briefly describes the technology and diversity of current applications.