Telemedicine is, technically, the use of any electric signal to transmit medical information.  It  includes the delivery of healthcare through audio and data communication.  Telemedicine also includes the use of telecommunications technology to provide care by reviewing captured images or by using live interactions between doctors and patients. 

Telemedicine technology began in the 1960's by NASA when humans began to visit space. Physiological data was sent from space (in the suits of astronauts) to the command center back on earth to monitor the condition of the astronaut.

NASA took the telemedicine technology one step further when they began a test on the Papago Indian reservation in Arizona through an endeavor called STARPAHC. With the help of Lockheed, they administered medical services from a van manned by two Indian paramedics. The van was connected to the Public Health hospital by a two way microwave transmission. This project was meant to give NASA a better idea of how to deal with astronauts in space but it opened a door to telemedicine for the general public.

The uses of telemedicine are not refined and quite broad (TIE). But according to the Mayo Clinic, telemedicine falls into three basic categories: data analysis, consultation, and research.