and a modem or other connection are required for this first step. the image is scanned and then sent via the network connection to the receiving computer. today's high-speed broadband based internet enables the use of new technologies for teleradiology: the image reviewer can now have access to distant servers in order to view an exam. therefore, they do not need particular workstations to view the images; a standard personal computer (pc) and digital subscriber line (dsl) connection is enough to reach keosys' central server. no particular software is necessary on the pc and the images can be reached from anywhere in the world. teleradiology is the most popular use for telemedicine and accounts for at least 50% of all telemedicine usage. telepathology main article: telepathology telepathology is the practice of pathology at a distance. it uses telecommunications technology to facilitate the transfer of image-rich pathology data between distant locations for the purposes of diagnosis, education, and research. performance of telepathology requires that a pathologist selects the video images for analysis and the rendering diagnoses. the use of "television microscopy", the forerunner of telepathology, did not require that a pathologist have physical or virtual "hands-on" involvement is the selection of microscopic fields-of-view for analysis and diagnosis. a pathologist, ronald s. weinstein, m.d., coined the term "telepathology" in 1986. in an editorial in a medical journal, weinstein outlined the actions that would be needed to create remote pathology diagnostic services. he, and his collaborators, published the first scientific paper on robotic telepathology. weinstein was also granted the first u.s. patents for robotic telepathology systems and telepathology diagnostic networks. weinstein is known to many as the "father of telepathology". in norway, eide and nordrum implemented the first sustainable clinical telepathology service in 1989. this is still in operation, decades later. a number of clinical telepathology services have benefited many thousands of patients in north america, europe, and asia. telepathology has been successfully used for many applications including the rendering histopathology tissue diagnoses, at a distance, for education, and for research. although digital pathology imaging, including virtual microscopy, is the mode of choice for telepathology services in developed countries, analog telepathology imaging is still used for patient services in some developing countries. teledermatology main article: teledermatology teledermatology allows dermatology consultations over a distance using audio, visual and data communication, and has been found to improve efficiency, access to specialty care, and patient satisfaction. applications comprise health care management such as diagnoses, consultation and treatment as well as (continuing medical) education. the dermatologists perednia and brown were the first to coin the term teledermatology in 1995, where they described the value of a teledermatologic service in a rural area underserved by dermatologists. teleophthalmology main article: teleophthalmology teleophthalmology is a branch of telemedicine that delivers eye care through digital medical equipment and telecommunications technology. today, applications of teleophthalmology encompass access to eye specialists for patients in remote areas, ophthalmic disease screening, diagnosis and monitoring; as well as distant learning. teleophthalmology may help reduce disparities by providing remote, low-cost screening tests such as diabetic retinopathy screening to low-income and uninsured patients. in mizoram, india, a hilly area with poor roads, between 2011 and 2015, teleophthalmology provided care to over 10,000 patients. these patients were examined by ophthalmic assistants locally but surgery was done on appointment after the patient images were viewed online by eye surgeons in the hospital 6–12 hours away. instead of an average five trips for say, a cataract procedure, only one was required for surgery alone as even post-op care like removal of stitches and appointments for glasses was done locally. there were large cost savings in travel as well. in the united states, some companies allow patients to complete an online visual exam and within 24 hours receive a prescription from an optometrist valid for eyeglasses, contact lenses, or both. some us states such as indiana have attempted to ban these companies from doing business. telesurgery main article: remote surgery remote surgery (also known as telesurgery) is the ability for a doctor to perform surgery on a patient even though they are not physically in the same location. it is a form of telepresence. remote surgery combines elements of robotics, cutting-edge telecommunications such as high-speed data connections, telehaptics and elements of management information systems. while the field of robotic surgery is fairly well established, most of these robots are controlled by surgeons at the location of the surgery. remote surgery is remote work for surgeons, where the physical distance between the surgeon and the patient is immaterial. it promises to allow the expertise of specialized surgeons to be available to patients worldwide, without the need for patients to travel beyond their local hospital. remote surgery or telesurgery is performance of surgical procedures where the surgeon is not physically in the same location as the patient, using a robotic teleoperator system controlled by the surgeon. the remote operator may give tactile feedback to the user. remote surgery combines elements of robotics and high-speed data connections. a critical limiting factor is the speed, latency and reliability of the communication system between the surgeon and the patient, though trans-atlantic surgeries have been demonstrated. teleabortion telemedicine has been used globally to increase access to abortion care, specifically medical abortion, in environments where few abortion care providers exist or abortion is legally restricted. clinicians are able to virtually provide counseling, review screening tests, observe the administration of an abortion medication, and directly mail abortion pills to people. in 2004, women on web (wow), amsterdam, started offering online consultations, mostly to people living in areas where abortion was legally restricted, informing them how to safely use medical abortion drugs to end a pregnancy. people contact the women on web service online; physicians review any necessary lab results or ultrasounds, mail mifepristone and misoprostol pills to people, then follow up through online communication. in the united states, medical abortion was introduced as a telehealth service in iowa by planned parenthood of the heartland in 2008 to allow a patient at one health facility to communicate via secure video with a health provider at another facility. in this model a person seeking abortion care must come to a health facility. an abortion care provider communicates with the person located at another site using clinic-to-clinic videoconferencing to provide medical abortion after screening tests and consultation with clinic staff. in 2018, the website aid access was launched by the founder of women on web, dr. rebecca gomperts. it offers a similar service as women on web in the united states, but the medications are prescribed to an indian pharmacy, then mailed to the united states. the telabortion study conducted by gynuity health projects, with special approval from the u.s. food and drug administration (fda), aims to increase access to medical abortion care without requiring an in-person visit to a clinic. this models was expanded during the covid-19 pandemic and as of march 2020 exists in 13 u.s. states and has enrolled over 730 people in the study. the person receives counseling and instruction from an abortion care provider via videoconference from a location of their choice. the medications necessary for the abortion, mifepristone and misoprostol, are mailed directly to the person and they have a follow-up video consultation in 7–14 days. a systematic review of telemedicine abortion has found the practice to be safe, effective, efficient, and satisfactory. in the united states, eighteen states require the clinician to be physically present during the administration of medications for abortion which effectively bans telehealth of medication abortion: five states explicitly ban telemedicine for medication abortion, while thirteen states require the prescriber (usually required to be a physician) to be physically present with the patient. in the uk, the royal college of obstetricians and gynecologists approved a no-test protocol for medication abortion, with mifepristone available through a minimal-contact pick-up or by mail. other specialist care delivery telemedicine can facilitate specialty care delivered by primary care physicians according to a controlled study of the treatment of hepatitis c. various specialties are contributing to telemedicine, in varying degrees. in light of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, primary care physicians have relied on telehealth to continue to provide care in outpatient settings. the transition to virtual health has been beneficial in providing patients access to care (especially care that does not require a physical exam e.g. medication changes, minor health updates) and avoid putting patients at risk of covid-19. telemedicine has also been beneficial in facilitating medical education to students while still allowing for adequate social distancing during the covid-19 pandemic. many medical schools have shifted to alternate forms of virtual curriculum and are still able to engage in meaningful telehealth encounters with patients. medication assisted treatment (mat) is the treatment of opioid use disorder (oud) with medications, often in combination with behavioral therapy as a response to the covid-19 pandemic the use of telemedicine has been granted by the drug enforcement administration to start or maintain people oud on buprenorphine (trade name suboxone) via telemedicine without the need for an initial in-person examination. on march 31, 2020, quickmd became the first national telemat service in the united states to provide medication-assisted treatment with suboxone online – without the need of an in-person visit; with others announcing to follow soon. major developments in policy telehealth is a modern form of health care delivery. telehealth breaks away from traditional health care delivery by using modern telecommunication systems including wireless communication methods. traditional health is legislated through policy to ensure the safety of medical practitioners and patients. consequently, since telehealth is a new form of health care delivery that is now gathering momentum in the health sector, many organizations have started to legislate the use of telehealth into policy. in new zealand, the medical council has a statement about telehealth on their website. this illustrates that the medical council has foreseen the importance that telehealth will have on the health system and have started to introduce telehealth legislation to practitioners along with government. transition to mainstream