Telediagnostics, defined as diagnosing from a distance, presumes remote access to test results and medical records as well as - in its most advanced form - the possibility to carry out particular parts of examination of a patient who has no actual physical contact with the physician carrying out the examination remotely. This process can be carried out using various communication techniques, including phone conversations. Nowadays, however, with the progress of information and communication technologies, it is usually carried out with the use of ICT tools.

Teleconsultation is a particular type of telediagnostics. It encompasses the phase of consultation between the physician whose knowledge is not sufficient for making a diagnosis and a specialist. Teleconsultation provides, therefore, a wide range of technologies that enable exchange of healthcare information across geographic barriers. Contrary to the traditional methods, teleconsulations offer the advantage of eliminating patients presence at certain stages of the examination process. As a result, the whole process is shorter and costs are reduced.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of medical knowledge due to extensive research. A single physician can no longer acquire this knowledge entirely. Specializations and focusing on a narrow area of knowledge have become inevitable. In order to take full advantage of modern medicine, therefore, patients need to be consulted by more than one specialist with the use of specialized equipment.

The increasing availability of diagnostic equipment in hospitals and smaller clinics is expected over the next few years. It may be worth mentioning that although the process of acquisition of medical examinations has been standardized, interpretation and analysis of the results remains challenging and requires great deal of knowledge and experience. What is more, advancements in medical equipment do not go hand in hand with the increase in number of specialists capable of handling it. For that reason, the future may bring a significant increase in demand for teleconsulation services, conduct of which will require, in addition to the infrastructure, proper data acquisition only. Teleconsultation tools should improve the exchange of expert knowledge exempting experts from the obligation to perform their duties in several places. Current methods of consultation between medical experts often entail additional costs and loss of time which stem from the necessity to transport patients to a particular medical center. Furthermore, they expose patients to stress and cause a considerable delay in diagnostic process. Teleconsultations have the potential of eliminating such obstacles and deficiencies provided that remote access to medical records and examination results is ensured.