American Telemedicine Association
Encyclopedia
American Telemedicine Association (ATA), established in 1993 as a non-profit organization
, ATA goal is to promote access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology (alternatively referred to as telemedicine
, telehealth
or eHealth
). Membership in ATA is open to individuals, companies and other healthcare and technology organizations.
The American Telemedicine Association is the leading resource and advocate promoting access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology. ATA seeks to bring together diverse groups from traditional medicine, academic medical centers, technology and telecommunications companies, e-health, medical societies, government and others to overcome barriers to the advancement of telemedicine through the professional, ethical and equitable improvement in health care delivery. ATA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the Association's membership.
The Association implements these objectives by:
In accordance with the mission of the organization, ATA provides a broad range of services for its members and the industry as a whole.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, ATA goal is to promote access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology (alternatively referred to as telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
, telehealth
Telehealth
Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Telehealth could be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone or as sophisticated as doing robotic surgery between facilities at different ends of the...
or eHealth
EHealth
eHealth is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999...
). Membership in ATA is open to individuals, companies and other healthcare and technology organizations.
The American Telemedicine Association is the leading resource and advocate promoting access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology. ATA seeks to bring together diverse groups from traditional medicine, academic medical centers, technology and telecommunications companies, e-health, medical societies, government and others to overcome barriers to the advancement of telemedicine through the professional, ethical and equitable improvement in health care delivery. ATA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the Association's membership.
The Association implements these objectives by:
- Educating government about telemedicine as an essential component in the delivery of modern medical care.
- Serving as a clearinghouse for telemedical information and services.
- Fostering networking and collaboration among interests in medicine and technology.
- Promoting research and education including the sponsorship of scientific educational meetings and theTelemedicine and e-Health Journal.
- Spearheading the development of appropriate clinical and industry policies and standards.
In accordance with the mission of the organization, ATA provides a broad range of services for its members and the industry as a whole.
- ATA Annual Meeting - the world's largest scientific meeting and exposition focusing exclusively on telemedicine, with hundreds of presentations, posters and workshops.
- On-line Member News Updates - direct, exclusive news briefs via email about the latest event and activities affecting telemedicine professionals.
- ATA Website - a widely-used resource for telemedicine news and information.
- ATA Online Membership Directory - the single source of who's who in telemedicine.
- Telemedicine and e-Health - a peer-reviewed publication encompassing all aspects of clinical telemedicine practice; technical advances and enabling technologies; continuing medical education; and the impact of telemedicine on the quality, cost-effectiveness, and access to health care.
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs), Regional Chapters and Discussion Groups - allow members to address issues related to the advancement and application of telemedicine regarding specific areas including home telehealth, ocular telehealth, technology, teledermatology, telemental health, telenursing, telepathologyTelepathologyTelepathology is the practice of pathology at a distance. It uses telecommunications technology to facilitate the transfer of image-rich pathology data between distant locations for the purposes of diagnosis, education, and research. Performance of telepathology requires that a pathologist...
, and telerehabilitationTelerehabilitationTelerehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet. Most types of services fall into two categories: clinical assessment , and clinical therapy...
.
See also
- General Maxwell R. Thurman AwardGeneral Maxwell R. Thurman AwardThe General Maxwell R. Thurman Award is awarded on behalf of the commanding general of the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at the American Telemedicine Association annual conference in recognition of someone who exhibits and demonstrates the following qualities and...
- telemedicineTelemedicineTelemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
- telehealthTelehealthTelehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Telehealth could be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone or as sophisticated as doing robotic surgery between facilities at different ends of the...
- telerehabilitationTelerehabilitationTelerehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet. Most types of services fall into two categories: clinical assessment , and clinical therapy...
- EHealthEHealtheHealth is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999...
- MHealthMHealthmHealth is a term used for the practice of medicine and public health, supported by mobile devices. The term is most commonly used in reference to using mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones and PDAs, for health services and information...
- List of video telecommunication services and product brands
External links
- ATA homepage
- Wiki for telemedicine (ATAwiki)