This document discusses the history and current state of telemedicine. It notes that there are several terms used including telemedicine, telehealth, e-health, and m-health. Telemedicine focuses on patient care using remote services, while health information technology focuses on support systems. Drivers for telemedicine include rising healthcare costs, provider shortages, and global health concerns. Early telemedicine examples include projects in 1967 and 1975. More recent developments include large networks, outsourced specialty services, online/mobile services, and new technologies like robotics. Key adoption challenges are resistance to change and inconsistent integration pathways. The American Telemedicine Association addresses these challenges through practice guidelines, collaborations, and other activities.