Telemedicine: military applications.

Communications technology has enjoyed enormous growth in recent years and should be fully exploited by the medical community. Its application as part of disaster response was well demonstrated in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Soviet Armenia in 1988. Besides disaster response, telemedicine also has application for patient care, diagnostic imaging, and training and education. This capability would be particularly beneficial to the armed forces of many nations. If the communications equipment were portable, it could be well employed during peacetime, yet easily deployed to the battlefield. Therefore, armed forces should fully exploit telecommunications technology for the practice of military medicine.