Telemedicine: socio-ethical considerations in the Indian milieu.

Telemedicine is the rapidly developing application of clinical medicine by telephone, the internet or other networks for the purpose of consulting, and on occasions carrying out examinations or medical procedures. Telemedicine may be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone, or as complex as using satellite technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation between medical specialists in two different countries. Telemedicine offers real benefits in a country as vast as India where the majority of the population lives in remote areas with no access to even the most basic healthcare.