Defining and Delimitating Telemedicine and Related Terms - An Ontology-Based Classification

摘要

The way health care is delivered changes continuously and is increasingly supported by digital technologies, such as telemedicine. Many terms in that context exist which are not defined consistently and therefore used ambiguously. This makes it difficult to assess the evidence base. Ontologies bring structure and clarity to the discourse around telemedicine and related terms. We use this tool to provide definitions of relevant terms and show their interrelations. The results provided will be applied to different case studies to show their applicability. We aim to provide a more evidence-based understanding of relevant terms in digital health.