TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The underlying communications rules and procedures that allow computers to interact with each other on the Internet.

Telecommunications

The use of wire, radio, visual, or other electromagnetic channels to transmit or receive signals for voice, data , and video communications.

Teleconferencing

Interactive electronic communication between multiple users at two or more sites which facilitates voice, video, and/or data transmission systems: audio, audiographics, computer and video systems.

Teleconsultation

The physical separation between multiple providers during a consultation.

Telediagnosis

The detection of a disease as a result of evaluating data transmitted to a receiving station from instruments monitoring a remote patient.

Telehealth

The use of electronic communications networks for the transmission of information and data focused on health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, consultation, education, and/or therapy, and the public's overall health including patient/community education and information, population-based data collection and management, and linkages for health care resources and referrals. Although telehealth is sometimes considered broader in scope than telemedicine, there is no clear-cut distinction between the two.

Telematics

The use of information processing based on a computer in telecommunications, and the use of telecommunications to permit computers to transfer programs and data to one another.

Telemedicine

The use of audio, video, and other telecommunications and electronic information processing technologies for the transmission of information and data relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, or to provide health services or aid health care personnel at distant sites.

Telementoring

The use of audio, video, and other telecommunications and electronic information processing technologies to provide individual guidance or direction. An example of this help may involve a consultant aiding a distant clinician in a new medical procedure.

Telemetry

The science and technology of automatic measurement and transmission of data via wires, radios, or another medium from stations based in remote locations to receiving stations for recording and analysis.

Telepresence

The method of using robotic and other instruments that permit a clinician to perform a procedure at a remote location by manipulating devices and receiving feedback or sensory information that contributes to a sense of being present at the remote site and allows a satisfactory degree of technical achievement. For example, this term could be applied to a surgeon using lasers or dental handpieces and receiving pressure similar to that created by touching a patient so that it seems as though s/he is actually present, permitting a satisfactory degree of dexterity.

Teletext

A broadcasting service utilizing several otherwise unused scanning lines (vertical blanking intervals) between frames of TV pictures to send data from a central database to receiving television sets.

Telnet

An application program that permits users to logon to any computer on the Internet for interaction with other users. For example, a telnet program may be used to peruse library holdings and receive results.

Terrestrial Carrier

A telecommunication transmission system using land-based facilities such as microwave towers, telephone lines, coaxial cable, or fiber optic cable as differentiated from satellite transmission.

Translator

A broadband network operation. A translator is an instrument, located in a central retransmission facility to filter incoming microwave signals and retransmit them in a higher frequency band.

Transmission Speed

The speed at which information passes over a communications channel; generally given in either bits per second (bps) or baud.

Turn-key System

A system of telecommunications in which all of the installation services and components needed for operational teleconferencing have been provided by a single vendor or contractor.