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Telemedicine: Theory and practice. Edited by Rashid L. Bashshur, Jay H. Sanders, and Gary W. Shannon. $89.95'. Pp. 435. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1997.
This publication is the edited work of 25 physicians, researchers, technologists, and theorists with combined practical, evaluative, and analytical experience in telemedicine. Their goal is to "present a comprehensive assessment and a scholarly perspective on telemedicine in the 1990s" (p. xv). Furthermore, the editors state that, like its predecessor (Bashshur, Armstrong, & Youssef, 1975), the book is intended to represent the state of the art.
Structurally, the volume is divided into five sections, each of which approaches the topic from a different perspective. The first section, titled "The Context of Telemedicine," attempts to identify from a policy perspective how telemedicine might be integrated into the overall health care system. The second section, "The Technology of Telemedicine," was contributed by a biomedical engineer who competently addresses the full spectrum of telemedicine-enabling technologies. The third and by far largest section of the book provides in-depth discussions on six applications: teleradiology, telepathology, telemedicine and primary care, teledermatology, teleoncology, and telepsychiatry. Each is authored by one or more clinicians who are intimately familiar with the subject material....