This lecture will consider how the current evidence in telehealth (TH) should be viewed. It will recognize the difficulties of interpreting the evidence with the different confusing terms (e.g. telehealth, telemedicine, telecare) being used interchangeably and the same term in different studies referring to similar or totally different interventions. Although the volume of research in TH is growing at an alarming rate (a simple search revealed 390 papers since 2009), there remains an ongoing concern regarding the quality of the research. In particular many studies are too small to provide reliable information. TH interventions are extremely complex and subtle differences between interventions may be the key factor that leads to improved clinical outcomes and/or reduced costs. Finally it is important to recognize that evidence in healthcare occurs progressively and a careful analysis of research findings, both negative and positive, is crucial so that findings can be built on where appropriate.
